Who – or what – else is out there? This is a question that has persisted in the minds of film fans and filmmakers alike since the beginning of the Atomic Era. From the Roswell incident-inspired ‘50s sci-fi schlock to recent hits like Jordan Peele’s Nope, movies about aliens continue to captivate audiences the world over. Something about the thought of an alien capturing and abducting humans has tapped into the collective fears of humans for decades.
Update July 12, 2023: This article has been updated with even more great alien abduction films.
While there are innumerable great movies about aliens, we’ve narrowed this list down to the best movies strictly revolving around alien abduction. That means no invasions, no gentle aliens phoning home, and no alien stowaways aboard spaceships. Here are the best alien abduction movies ever made.
10 Fried Barry (2020)
In the realm of alien abductions, some stories can get pretty wild, especially when the creatives have a vivid imagination. Fried Barry is an independent flick produced, written, and directed by Ryan Kruger. It explores the life of a drug addict named Barry, who suddenly finds his body abducted by aliens and possessed by them. After being released, Barry’s conscience takes a back seat as the alien wishes to explore human sensations through the usual environment of Barry’s life. It’s a bizarre story, full of shock value and dark humor, with an unconventional take on the genre.
9 Under the Skin (2013)
Under the Skin is another alien abduction film with low stakes but very enjoyable. The film was written and directed by Jonathan Glazer with the assistance of Walter Campbell. It’s based on the novel of the same name written by Nick Wechsler. The story follows Scarlett Johansson, who plays an otherworldly being preying on unsuspecting men in Scotland while trying to garner experience from her encounters. The story focuses more on exploring human nature as the alien seems driven by sheer curiosity, mostly acting accordingly to every interaction with the different men she encounters in her travels.
8 Circle (2015)
Circle is Saw, but with aliens, or at least that’s the best way to describe this terrific film written and directed by the team of Aaron Hann and Mario Miscione. The plot may seem simplistic, but the actual exploration of human nature will take hold of your senses and keep you glued to the screen until the very end. A group of 50 people wakes up standing in a room, and they begin to be systematically eliminated. As their numbers decrease by the minute, they must agree on making life-or-death decisions based on their personal judgments. It’s a harrowing story that explores social dynamics and the concept of survival of the fittest.
7 Undead (2003)
Another independent film with a solid premise, Undead, is written, produced, and directed by Michael and Peter Spierig. In an Australian fishing town, meteors unleash a viral outbreak turning people into zombies. A former alien abductee named Marion shelters a group of people while acid rain begins to pour over the town. The chaotic nature of the film is designed to keep you on the edge of your seat as the mystery behind the alien invasion is revealed, and some of the players involved make the wrong choices, condemning their town instead of saving it. It’s a great film, made on a small budget but with great production values, combining horror, comedy, and intrigue elements.
6 Fire in the Sky (1993)
1993’s Fire in the Sky tells the supposed true story of a man’s abduction by extraterrestrials, and his subsequent return to Earth five days later. Based on Travis Walton’s book The Walton Experience, the movie changes much of the real Walton’s account to make the story more cinematic, much to the chagrin of the author. Although Walton’s story has been called a hoax by many in the scientific community, the movie it inspired is thoroughly convincing, with its primary focus being on the emotional impact of Walton’s disappearance on his community. When director Robert Lieberman finally does take us aboard the alien craft, he presents a richly detailed and ominous space that feels truly otherworldly. The scene of the aliens examining Walton is one of the most effective and unnerving alien abduction sequences ever filmed.
5 Gamera vs. Guiron (1969)
Sure, the giant monster battles are usually the main draw to kaiju flicks, but in this one, Gamera takes a back seat to the real stars of the show: Barbella and Florbella – a pair of alien vixens with a cannibalistic appetite for human children. Gamera is one of the most iconic non-Godzilla kaijus of all time, and although he came about originally to cash in on the Godzilla craze, his films are wholly unique. The fifth entry in the franchise, Gamera vs. Guiron is a rare kaiju film that has human drama that is equally (if not more) entertaining as the monster mayhem.
When two young boys are abducted by Barbella and Florbella, the last of the Terran civilization, the giant space turtle Gamera goes to their rescue. En route, he must do battle with Gyaos, an old pterodactyl-like nemesis of his, and Guiron, a giant monster with a head that resembles a Bowie knife. Meanwhile, the fate of the young boys’ tasty brains hangs in the balance. It is every bit as bizarre as it sounds and ludicrously entertaining to boot.
4 This Island Earth (1955)
An all-time classic of ‘50s science fiction, This Island Earth follows the abduction of two of the world’s greatest scientists by the people of the planet Metaluna. The Metalunans require humanity’s help in transmuting lead into uranium to aid in their war against the ruthless Zagons. It is a classic work of pulpy science fiction, with an uncharacteristically well-written script and dazzling Technicolor cinematography. While it is now perhaps more famous for being lampooned on Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie, This Island Earth opened to high praise from critics and remains one of the most inventive and impressive-looking sci-fi spectacles of its time.
3 Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a bonafide science fiction masterpiece. It stars Richard Dreyfuss as a blue-collar man whose encounter with a UFO changes the course of his life and leads many of his friends and family to question his sanity. Although the actual abduction doesn’t occur until late into the film, we’d be remiss not to include this classic on our list of the best alien abduction movies. It’s a well-crafted story with fantastic performances, and one of the best films by legendary director Steven Spielberg.
2 Communion (1989)
Communion stars Christopher Walken as a novelist who is abducted by aliens while on vacation at an isolated cabin in the woods. Much like Fire in the Sky, the film is based on a book that chronicles the true story of the author’s encounter with extraterrestrials. The movie opened to negative reviews and was a box office failure, most likely due to its bizarre tone that shifts from genuinely creepy to outrageously campy in the blink of an eye. For the very same reason, however, the movie has since developed a cult following that praises the strange tone of the movie as reflecting the rocky mental state of the main character.
Although his undeniably weird performance in Communion is not often considered one of his best, Walken does a knock-out job portraying an unstable man pushed to the brink of insanity by his visions of alien abductors. Despite the claims of its detractors at the time of its release, Communion is one of the best alien abduction movies. The film is, according to Frame Rated, “an intelligent, non-sensationalist examination of a phenomenon that affected many people at the time—encounters with and abductions by aliens.”
1 Xtro (1983)
Much maligned by critics at the time of its release, 1983’s Xtro was famously described by Roger Ebert as “an ugly, mean-spirited and despairing thriller that left me thoroughly depressed.” Don’t let the negative reviews deter you, however, because this nasty tale of alien abduction has since been embraced with open arms by the cult science fiction and horror community. The anti-E.T. the Extraterrestrial – and even coming with the tagline “some extraterrestrials aren’t friendly” – Xtro tells the story of a young boy’s dad who aliens abduct and returns to Earth a changed man. He now likes to eat the eggs of his son’s pet snake and drink people’s blood, among other changes.
It is a terrifying horror film, an inventive slice of suburban science fiction, and a positively disgusting splatter masterpiece with all the stomach-churning gore effects you didn’t know you needed in your alien abduction movies. While it may not be for everyone, its creative horror reworking of the visitors-from-space premise and its mind-melting special effects earn it the top spot on our list of the best alien abduction movies ever made.