10 Best ’90s Sci-Fi Movies About Aliens

For decades, mankind has been fascinated by the idea of extraterrestrials. Such fascination spilled over to Hollywood as soon as the industry was birthed, and the spatter has remained ever since. Thankfully, there are many ways sci-fi writers can go with alien stories. In some movies, alien creatures seek to colonize Earth, others simply want to steal resources, others still have nothing but genocide on their minds, and then there are those who don’t care about Earth at all. It’s humans who invade their territory and cause them to fight back. Occasionally, some are even shown to be friendly.

Thousands of great alien movies have been made over the years, and the ‘90s saw even greater arrivals of figures who claimed to have “come in peace,” yet that wasn’t always the case. Thanks to higher demand from audiences and greater advancements in CGI, directors became more obsessed with visitors from outside space. But as is always the case at any banquet, not every item on the smorgasbord is worth consuming. Among the numerous ‘90s projects about human-extraterrestrial animosity or alliances, the following stand out.

10 Men in Black (1997)

In the world of Men in Black, many aliens live on Earth, having taken on human form. They are monitored by a secret agency known as the “Men in Black” (MIB), whose star employees are Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones), and the newly recruited Agent J (Will Smith), a former NYPD officer. Work is fairly easy for the agents until a nefarious alien arrives, seeking to steal an energy source known as “The Galaxy.”

Addressing Immigration Through Aliens

Director Barry Sonnenfeld’s razor-sharp dissection of extraterrestrial matters fuses biting satire with incisive commentary on immigration. The makeup and art direction teams also outdo themselves here, while the camera perfectly tracks the two agents at all times, capturing their nervous energy alongside all the background mayhem. This was the role of a lifetime for Will Smith, but he was equaled by Tommy Lee Jones and a coterie of skilled performers who consistently aced the facial expressions in dialogue-rich scenes.

Besides that, the soundtrack deserves all the praise. Rarely do we get a movie where the lead actor composes a chart-topping song specifically for the project. Will Smith did just that.

9 Dark City (1998)

Dark City starts with a cliché plot point but gets much better. John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) awakens in a hotel to find he is a wanted man. He learns that he has been accused of a series of brutal murders, but he can’t remember any of it. Uncertain of whether he has gone mad or is indeed a criminal, he seeks answers, and while at it, he stumbles upon a strange underworld controlled by a group of aliens known as the Strangers.

Visually and Philosophically Rich

Genre fans are unlikely to find a more terrifying and complicated movie than Dark City, as it constantly relies on Kafkaesque techniques to drive the narrative. However, it’s stunning to look at. Its cinematography, plot, and atmosphere are said to have influenced The Matrix, while its architectural design is said to have been inspired by Fritz Lang’s 1927 film Metropolis.

Away from the views and the terror, the underrated sci-fi film is philosophically rich. It leans heavily towards Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, as the city dwellers are all semi-prisoners who do not realize they are being controlled. Additionally, there are motifs from Greek mythology, where gods keep manipulating humans, creating the feel of a clever motion picture. Spare some time for it, if you can.

8 Starship Troopers (1997)

Based on Robert A. Heinlein’s 1959 novel, Starship Troopers is set in the 23rd century, where humans are at war with a race of giant alien insects known as the Arachnids. Earth is also ruled by the United Citizen Federation, a stratocratic government founded decades earlier because democracy no longer works. Soon, an infantry travels to distant planets to take the war to the aliens and end the menace once and for all, but the job turns out to be harder than expected.

Examining War and Politics Using Alien-Human Conflict

Elevated by stunning visual effects (half of the film’s budget was dedicated to this particular area) and sound design, this alien saga is part monster thriller and part military thriller. With fascism a major leitmotif, the narrative unfolds with the rhythm of a war tale, while the uncertainty of the mission ratchets up the theatrical tension.

Beyond that, its heavy critiques of the military-industrial complex, right-wing militarism, retaliatory violence, and jingoism made it feel ahead of its time. Be sure to take a flight with Starship Troopers.

7 Mars Attacks! (1996)

Mars Attacks! features a POTUS who hilariously “doesn’t want any smoke.” When Martians arrive and surround all cities, President James Dale (Jack Nicholson), and his advisors wait to see if they have truly come in peace. He even sends dignitaries to welcome the visitors, only for the Martians to annihilate them. Figuring the incident was all because of cultural misunderstanding, he invites the Martian leaders to Congress to apologize, only for the aliens to also wipe out the politicians. From there, it’s game on.

Ruthless Martians in a Comical Story

This is far from the dark films fans had been used to getting from Tim Burton in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, but the venture into comedy pays off, thanks to actors who lose themselves wholeheartedly in the material. The A-list ensemble includes Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Danny DeVito, Michael J. Fox, Pam Grier, and Natalie Portman, among others, so nothing ever goes wrong performance-wise.

The use of stop-motion animation to portray the Martians was perhaps not the best choice, but this flaw gets patched up by endless humor and a light soundtrack that famously includes “Escape (The Pina Colada Song),” a ‘70s single that would become even more popular after James Gunn used it in Guardians of the Galaxy.

After making Back to the Future, director Robert Zemeckis proved that he hadn’t run out of great ideas. In 1997, he gave sci-fi fans another gift in the form of Contact. The film follows SETI scientist, Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster), who finds proof of extraterrestrial life and is chosen to make the first contact, which she eventually does. However, numerous obstacles emerge in the form of superiors hell-bent on maintaining bureaucracy and religious fanatics who fear what such a mission would mean to spirituality.

Blurry Lines Between Reality and Fiction

From the suspenseful first act to a bittersweet finale, Contact is chock-full of bendy, edge-of-your-seat thrills. To maintain an air of authenticity, Zemeckis went to Very Large Array (VLA) near Socorro, New Mexico, to film this riveting sci-fi thriller, which seamlessly merges the basics of astronomy with breathless, Hollywood-style entertainment.

More than 25 CNN news reporters were also cast, making this one of the most realistic alien movies ever made. Additionally, the clash between religion and science is sufficiently analyzed, giving us a great idea of what would truly happen if contact were to be made.

5 Independence Day (1996)

After months of draining tasks, U.S. Marine Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) and his unit, the Black Knights fighter squadron, are shown enjoying their Independence Day leave in Independence Day. Sadly, the cheerful mood is marred by a series of frightening reports. An extraterrestrial mothership has just entered Earth’s orbit and deployed flying saucers (each about 15 mi (24 km) in diameter) over all the major cities. Hiller then gets the dreaded phone call. He and his men need to come back to work and defend Los Angeles.

Earth Isn’t So Independent Here

Together with Twisters, Independence Day is credited with triggering a late ‘90s and early 2000s Hollywood trend of movies featuring mass destruction. After all, it was made by none other than “The Master of Disaster,” Roland Emmerich. When the shrill movement of a spaceship makes your nerves jump, you know Emmerich’s dread-and-despair film is penetrating your skin.

With its menacing atmosphere and see-more-scare-more dictum, the film dodges all the clichés that were to be seen in imitation films to come. Complementing the mayhem is a Grammy-winning score recorded with an orchestra of 90, and a choir of 46, according to Filmtracks. This is pure ‘90s blockbuster gold.

4 Galaxy Quest (1999)

In Galaxy Quest, stars of a similarly-titled fictional hit ‘70s sci-show spend their days attending conventions and doing everything else that is required of them. Things then take an interesting turn when a group of aliens known as the Thermians seek their help in dealing with a threat in their galaxy. The Thermians have no concept of fiction. They believe that all the show’s events are real and that the cast members can do everything their characters do.

Fandom, with all Its Joys and Woes

Top among the Star Trek parodies, Galaxy Quest is a total blast, and the good thing is that a series is now in development. Never has a parody received so much love from fans of the original work, so much so that at the 2013 Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas, Galaxy Quest was voted the seventh-best Star Trek film.

The alien flick offers more than just humor and spectacle. On a deeper level, it explores the positive and negative elements of fandom. Whether it’s the fans at the conventions or the pestering by the aliens, the stars of the hit series never get to have a peaceful moment because everyone else finds it hard to separate them from their characters.

3 The Fifth Element (1997)

The Fifth Element is primarily set in an advanced 23rd-century society and follows taxi driver Korben Dallas (Willis), as he tries to prevent Earth from doom. The mayhem begins to unfold when a mysterious alien woman named Leeloo appears in Korben’s cab. She is revealed to be the key to activating the “Fifth Element,” a force needed to combat The Great Evil, However, before they can achieve their mission, Korben and Leeloo go on a hunt to recover four crucial elemental stones that represent earth, air, fire, and water.

Another Essential Bruce Willis Film

Another great success for Nikita helmer Luc Besson, The Fifth Element is an absorbing, finely acted blockbuster about the not-so-familiar problems facing an ordinary citizen in a chaotic, potentially hostile environment. The director even stirred controversy by infusing sexual politics into the story. Luckily, the move didn’t ruin anything.

Overall, the Oscar-nominated sound editing, and appealing cinematography give this sci-fi film extraordinary production values to boot. Milla Jovovich’s celebrated turn as the enthusiastic Leelo also climaxes in a wild closing sequence that’s hard to forget. The movie sure has its flows (Chris Tucker got a Razzie nomination for Worst New Star), but all negative elements are easy to ignore, thanks to the fast pace and sense of urgency.

It’s the 24th century in Star Trek: First Contact and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-E has been patrolling the Romulan Neutral Zone. During the mission, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) ignores orders and engages the alien race known as the Borg. Unknown to him, the Borg plan to travel back into the 21st century to prevent Earth’s first contact with an alien race (the Vulcans). To carry out their mission, the Borg take over the Enterprise.

A Wholesome Addition to the Franchise

With undercurrents of friendship, honesty, and loyalty, this film takes its rightful place in the distinguished oeuvre of long-running franchise director and actor Jonathan Frakes. Most importantly, the Borg are as menacing as aliens ever get. The Borg queen is especially fascinating, carrying herself as more of a femme fatale who can kill and seduce at the same time. Fans are also likely to notice a great improvement in special effects. While the visuals of the previous installments always looked clanky, First Contact takes advantage of the special effects progress of the ‘90s.

1 Stargate (1994)

Stargate updates ancient Egyptian myths by stitching in a wonderful alien narrative. Professor Daniel Jackson (James Spader) teams up with veteran Col. Jack O’Neil (Kurt Russell) to unlock the code of an interstellar gateway that takes them to an ancient Egypt-like planet. When they arrive, they realize the place is ruled by the tyrant, Ra (Jaye Davidson), who is the only one with the key to their safe return. To boost their chances of escaping, Jackson and O’Neil attempt to convince the planet’s inhabitants that Ra must be ousted.

A Unique Alien Species for a Change

This durable ’90s hit captures the dazzling Egyptian tradition in a whirl of spectacular color and dynamic energy. The cast members are equally excellent (with Milli Avital a particular stand-out), and filmmaker Roland Emmerich also manages to maintain significant suspense as the saga unfolds.

Notably, as any good movie should, Stargateinspired a television franchise that turned out to be even better than the original material. The plot could have been thicker, but everything else is perfect, and the sci-fi landscape is a better place with this gem in it.