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They Live

Play trailer 2:00 Poster for They Live R Released Nov 23, 1988 1h 33m Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
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87% Tomatometer 75 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Nada (Roddy Piper), a wanderer without meaning in his life, discovers a pair of sunglasses capable of showing the world the way it truly is. As he walks the streets of Los Angeles, Nada notices that both the media and the government are comprised of subliminal messages meant to keep the population subdued, and that most of the social elite are skull-faced aliens bent on world domination. With this shocking discovery, Nada fights to free humanity from the mind-controlling aliens.
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They Live

They Live

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Critics Consensus

A politically subversive blend of horror and sci fi, They Live is an underrated genre film from John Carpenter.

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Critics Reviews

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Chris Bennion The Times (UK) It is a big, silly barrel of fun, with a delirious, tongue-in-cheek script... Feb 2, 2024 Full Review Phil Hoad Guardian The film was was responding to the start of the US rust belt and Reagan-era consumerism, but its themes of working-class subjugation and omnipresent media control have only become more pressing. Rated: 4/5 Oct 25, 2018 Full Review Jason Bailey Flavorwire Carpenter's primary objective was to make a tough action flick, which he does; it fits snugly into his filmography's subset of urban mayhem movies (alongside 'Escape from New York,' 'Assault on Precinct 13,' and parts of 'Big Trouble in Little China'). Feb 17, 2017 Full Review John Ferguson Radio Times Piper handles the action scenes better than he deals with dialogue, but he is well supported by Keith David and Meg Foster. Rated: 3/5 Sep 13, 2024 Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills [It] provides moments of catharsis, not to mention a measure of gloating-at-somebody-else’s-trainwreck satisfaction. Oct 16, 2023 Full Review Patrick Cavanaugh The Wolfman Cometh Both outlandish and prescient, Roddy Piper exudes charm and director Carpenter is fully confident in this crowd-pleasing, sci-fi dystopia. Rated: 5/5 Sep 22, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jason one of the best movies ever made probably more true than we know Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/29/23 Full Review Cody A True Classic that rings true today. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/22/22 Full Review MaryAnn M. It’s a classic! Horror and wrestling moves. What’s not to like Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/28/25 Full Review Zach F. Iconic lines, foreshadowing of the real world, and a killer Kieth David performance, what more could you ask for. A great work of John carpenter, his story has everything you would want from a 80s action thriller plus a more “realistic” and conspiratorial theme than most movies of similar genre. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/18/25 Full Review Jonathan N I came to write a review and chew bubblegum, and I'm all out of bubblegum... yeah what can be said here, brilliant film. Very much a critique of tptb... Pay attention! We sleep, they live! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/12/25 Full Review D.M. J It is from a time and a place, but we can feel echoes of that time and place now. I think this movie still has something to offer to modern audiences. It is brash, loud, and in your face. It also holds a giant mirror up to our social, political, and media worlds, with a biting commentary of conformity and control. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/10/25 Full Review Read all reviews
They Live

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They Live

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Movie Info

Synopsis Nada (Roddy Piper), a wanderer without meaning in his life, discovers a pair of sunglasses capable of showing the world the way it truly is. As he walks the streets of Los Angeles, Nada notices that both the media and the government are comprised of subliminal messages meant to keep the population subdued, and that most of the social elite are skull-faced aliens bent on world domination. With this shocking discovery, Nada fights to free humanity from the mind-controlling aliens.
Director
John Carpenter
Producer
Larry J. Franco
Screenwriter
John Carpenter
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Production Co
Alive Films, Larry Franco Productions
Rating
R
Genre
Sci-Fi
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 23, 1988, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Sep 3, 2023
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 5, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$12.3M
Runtime
1h 33m
Sound Mix
Surround
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