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They Live

Play trailer 2:00 Poster for They Live R 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 Audience Member SO GEHT SATIRE John schlägt sich mit Gelegenheitsjobs durch und entdeckt dank einer Sonnenbrille, dass die Welt von Außerirdischen manipuliert wird in Politik, Werbung und sogar in Form des netten Nachbarn von nebenan. Da ihm das natürlich niemand glaubt, begibt er sich selbst auf eine schießwütige Mission, um die Welt zu befreien und plötzlich wirken die verrückten Aluhutträger gar nicht mehr so verrückt. Sie leben (1988) läuft etwa 85 Minuten, ist ab 18 Jahren freigegeben und liefert eine Sci-Fi-Satire von John Carpenter mit Roddy Piper in der Hauptrolle. Der Film macht sich herrlich über alles lustig, was unsere Gesellschaft ausmacht und lässt kaum ein Thema aus. Die Idee, dass eine Sonnenbrille zeigt, wie die Welt wirklich ist, ist grandios. Hinter Computerwerbung verbirgt sich der Befehl „Gehorche“, und wenn eine Frau im Bikini gezeigt wird, steckt dahinter die Aufforderung, sich zu vermehren. Mein Highlight war das schlichte Schild „Sale“, das übersetzt nichts anderes heißt als „Konsumiere“. John, gespielt von Roddy Piper, ist ein normaler Typ, der selbst erst einmal realisieren muss, was er da sieht und was er da aufgedeckt hat, das macht ihn sympathisch. Schauspielerisch ist das zwar keine A-Klasse, aber dank der typischen 80er-Synchro hat alles diesen gewissen Witz. Die Effekte sind nicht die besten und definitiv nicht gut gealtert und dass jemand einen Sturz aus großer Höhe ohne Verletzungen überlebt, ist natürlich unlogisch, aber hey, Sci-Fi. Das Finale überzeugt mit einem Ballerfestival, mit der Wahrheit über die Welt und mit der wohltuenden Erkenntnis, dass nicht jeder Film eine Lovestory braucht. Unterm Strich bleibt ein Werk, das noch heute amüsiert, auch wenn einiges in die Jahre gekommen ist. Die Satire und die Gesellschaftskritik funktionieren hervorragend, und das wahllose Geballer lockert nicht nur die Knochen der Feinde neu, sondern auch die Stimmung. 7 von 10 Punkten. Die Abschaffung der Mittelschicht durch die Reichen, damit diese noch reicher werden, das ist doch nur im Film und würde niemals passieren… oder? Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/10/25 Full Review xpig332 B Who knew it was a documentary? Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/08/25 Full Review Brent H Growing up as a fan of Roddy Piper in the 1980s, I remember going to the theater to see They Live when it was first released. It's been a while since I've seen it, so I thought it was a perfect time to watch it with my 17-year-old son. He really got into the Sci-Fi aspect of the plot. While I think Roddy does a fantastic job as the lead character, "Nada," director John Carpenter plays into Piper's strengths by allowing him to insert a number of his famous one-liners. Plus, the fight scene between Piper and Keith David is one of the best throw-downs in cinematic history. I actually timed it to see how long the fight lasted. Those two characters beat up each other for over five minutes. A well-choreographed scene. Carpenter masterfully crafted the music to fit the mood, just as he's done in a number of his other films. Admittedly, the movie starts a little slow, but after the first 10-15 minutes, it makes up for it with all the action sequences. A movie well ahead of its time with a plot that may be more relevant today than when it was released in 1988. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/29/25 Full Review Lee T Purposely corny and does it brilliantly. Fantastic story, I literally watch it once every 2 or 3 months and never get bored. That's the sign of a true classic. It's an A* B movie! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/17/25 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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