It Came From Outer Space

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It Came From Outer Space

G

Released May 25, 1953

1h 21m

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

31 Reviews

55%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

While looking through his telescope one night, John Putnam (Richard Carlson) sees what at first appears to be a meteor shower -- but it is actually a crash-landing alien spaceship! After investigating the crater from the impact, John informs the town sheriff (Charles Drake), and receives nothing but ridicule. Even his fiancée, Ellen (Barbara Rush), is skeptical. All that changes when the townsfolk start disappearing, and are replaced by eerie alien duplicates.

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Critics Consensus

It Came From Outer Space is a pulpy-but-effective psychological sci-fi picture, with a provocative message about xenophobia.

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Variety

Picture has been smartly fashioned to take advantage of all the tricks of science-fiction and 3-D.

May 29, 2007

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

[A] scary black-and-white SF effort from 1953.

May 29, 2007

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A.H. Weiler

New York Times

Merely mildly diverting, not stupendous.

Rated: 2.5/5

Oct 31, 2006

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Alan Jones

Radio Times

The result is an entertaining B-movie that's as good as 1950s science fiction gets.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 13, 2024

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Kevin Carr

Fat Guys at the Movies

A rather simplified Cold War cautionary tale about xenophobia that doesn’t handle itself nearly as well as other classics of its time.

Rated: 2.5/4

Oct 6, 2023

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

... one of the more optimistic movies about visitors from the stars, and in its way was an inspiration for Steven Spielberg’s 'E.T.'

Nov 6, 2022

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Daniel C. M

Genuinely effective in it's horror and thrills to this day, and features a nice direction by the master Jack Arnold who manages to perfectly utilize to the max it's small budget with lack of proper scenery/locations and very average special effects. It's small runtime is also very welcomed.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/01/25

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Audience Member

Not awful by 1950's sci-fi standards. The story's by Ray Bradbury and it had to be a sort of influence on "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." There are two "standout" features of this movie: the Gilligan's Island "Professor" Russell Johnson, and Barbara Rush in a push-up bra. Well, make that THREE things!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

11/17/24

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Mark L

I was brought up in the era of Star wars, back to the future etc, and i always wanted to see where the directors/writers of said films got their inspiration from. I loved the day the earth stood still, and the day the earth caught fire, but this is great....just a good story. And that is it, if you can tell a good story, that's half the battle. And this one does. Kept me gripped, from start to finish

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/05/24

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Johnathon W

Classic golden age science fiction story thanks to a solid cast and intelligent story telling. The actors are solid, with Richard Carlson nicely playing the lead John Putnam, a believer in the alien invasion who understands why others don't. He gets nice support from the rest of the cast, especially a luminous Barbara Rush as his girlfriend. Behind the camera, director Jack Arnold crafts the story by Ray Bradbury to perfection, showing both the aliens and humans as neither good or bad, with both making mistakes in their attempts to understand each other. Plus, it's nice to see an alien that truly looks alien. Overall, a classic science fiction movie from the Golden Age.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/27/24

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Steve D

OK but it hasn't aged as well as some.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/06/24

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Brian R

Unfortunately this was the colorized mess … absolutely horrible color job … why why why - idiotic waste

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/24

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Jack Arnold

Director

Richard Carlson

John Putnam

Barbara Rush

Ellen Fields

Charles Drake

Sheriff Matt Warren

Russell Johnson

George

Kathleen Hughes

Jane

It Came From Outer Space: Official Clip - All We Needed Was Time

3:50

It Came From Outer Space: Official Clip - Crash Landing

2:47

It Came From Outer Space: Official Clip - First Contact

2:30

It Came From Outer Space: Official Clip - They'll Be Back

1:06

It Came From Outer Space: Official Clip - Don't Be Afraid

3:09

It Came From Outer Space: Official Clip - Anti-Alien Posse

1:31

It Came From Outer Space: Official Clip - Stalked by Cosmic Evil

2:08

It Came From Outer Space: Official Clip - Alien Avalanche

2:06

It Came From Outer Space: Official Clip - Incognito Abduction

1:13

It Came From Outer Space: Official Clip - Resorting to Violence

1:53

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Synopsis

While looking through his telescope one night, John Putnam (Richard Carlson) sees what at first appears to be a meteor shower -- but it is actually a crash-landing alien spaceship! After investigating the crater from the impact, John informs the town sheriff (Charles Drake), and receives nothing but ridicule. Even his fiancée, Ellen (Barbara Rush), is skeptical. All that changes when the townsfolk start disappearing, and are replaced by eerie alien duplicates.

Director: Jack Arnold
Producer: William Alland
Screenwriter: Ray Bradbury, Harry Essex
Distributor: Universal Pictures, GoodTimes Home Video [us], Universal International Pictures
Production Co: Universal International Pictures
Rating: G
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 25, 1953, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 10, 2015
Runtime: 1h 21m

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