They Live

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They Live

R

Released Nov 23, 1988

1h 33m

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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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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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Chris Bennion

The Times (UK)

It is a big, silly barrel of fun, with a delirious, tongue-in-cheek script...

Feb 2, 2024

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Cody

A True Classic that rings true today.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/22/22

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Igor S

Genius concept! Also, John Carpenter could have refined the story and characters a little bit. It would have elevated this movie to a higher class. It could have even set a trilogy. I would love to see a modern remake, with more budget, and a more refined story. Or maybe a sequel. Because the older i get, the more true movies like this ring.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/26/25

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Adam A.

very energetic and interesting sci-fi movie about citizens vs the government.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/25/25

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Romas M

They Live” (1988) is a fun and entertaining B-action horror, satirical film. It was made by a legendary filmmaker John Carpenter. The first time i saw this film only in 2025 after i bought a 4K UHD disk - this film looks stunning on this format. One shouldn’t take this film very seriously, as it’s basically a camp - but done in a very well way. At running time 1 h 30 min this film expertly paced. I did like acting here by main actor. Music was good composed by John Carpenter. Overall, “They Live” is a product of its era, and it’s a good one. Its plot is very relevant even today in 2025. The satire about consumption, obey of rules in order for rich to become even richer is never will outdated. This film is a blast if you are in mood for it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/21/25

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Taiga B

Another fantastic John Carpenter movie! It has an absolutely brilliant message that still is true to this day, making it a timeless classic. Roddy Piper and Keith David are great in this movie, sounding natural and giving us some great charisma. They twist and turns are unexpected, showing us why these types of movies are way better then a lot of new movies that are so predictable.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/14/25

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Nada

Keith David

Frank

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They Live: Trailer 1

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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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