If you often find yourself scanning the sky for UFOs and reading the latest news about Area 51 [1], then Netflix has some sci-fi movies you're sure to enjoy.Whether you think we're alone in the universe or not, there's no denying that alien movies [2] are pretty awesome. Movies featuring aliens can be funny (like Men in Black), family-friendly (like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), epic (like Independence Day), or straight-up terrifying (like Signs). But no matter what, throwing some extraterrestrial beings into the mix is always a good idea. Check out the gallery for the best alien movies available to stream on Netflix right now.
At First Light
In this sci-fi drama, a high school senior's unexpected encounter with strange orbs of light leaves her with supernatural abilities, as well as no recollection of who she is or how she got her powers. A friend takes her in while she attempts to regain her memory, but when a mysterious organisation pursues her, the two teens are forced to flee.
Watch At First Light on Netflix [4].
Starship Troopers
Based on Robert A. Heinlein's sci-fi novel of the same name, this action flick revolves around a futuristic military unit referred to as the Mobile Infantry and the unit's interstellar war against a race of giant alien insects. This one was wildly panned when it was first released, since critics didn't realise that it's a satire, but Starship Troopers is truly a gem of a movie.
Watch Starship Troopers on Netflix [5].
The Signal
This thriller tells the story of three MIT freshmen on a road trip to California who, along the way, track the location of a rival computer hacker to an abandoned house in the middle of a Nevada desert. However, instead of finding NOMAD, the three wake up in an underground research facility with no memory of how they got there.
Watch The Signal on Netflix [6].
The Recall
Jedidiah Goodacre (whom you might know as Chad Charming from The Descendants series) stars in this sci-fi horror film as Charlie, a teen who joins his friends on a weekend trip to a remote lakeside cabin. When an unexpected alien attack terrorizes the crew, Charlie and his friends must rely on an eccentric hunter (played by Wesley Snipes) to save them.
Watch The Recall on Netflix [7].
Extinction
Michael Peña stars in this action-packed movie as Peter, an engineer haunted by recurring nightmares of an alien invasion. When Peter visits a psychiatrist for help, he meets a patient who has been having similar visions — and as it turns out, their shared visions have actually been a warning.
Watch Extinction on Netflix [8].
Rim of the World
This adventure flick revolves around a summer camp in Southern California, where an extraterrestrial attack forces the camp to evacuate everyone — except for four misfits, who find themselves entrusted with a key that holds the secret to stopping the invasion. Expect to get major Stranger Things [9] vibes from this one.
Watch Rim of the World on Netflix [10].
Under the Skin
Loosely based on Michel Faber's novel of the same name, Scarlett Johansson [11] stars in this movie about a predatory alien disguised as a beautiful woman who tries to lure unsuspecting Scottish men into her van. It's erotic, it's terrifying, and above all, it's probably unlike anything you've ever seen before.
Watch Under the Skin on Netflix [12].
Battle: Los Angeles
In Battle: Los Angeles, a long-predicted alien invasion takes down the world's greatest cities one by one, until only LA remains as the final battleground. Humankind is then left in the hands of a Marine staff sergeant and his platoon, who must take on an enemy unlike anything they've ever faced.
Watch Battle: Los Angeles on Netflix [13].
Beyond Skyline
This sequel to 2010's Skyline immediately follows the events of the original, revolving around Detective Mark Corley as he attempts to rescue his estranged son from an alien spaceship. When the ship crashes in Southeast Asia, Mark must then befriend his fellow survivors in order to take back the planet from its extraterrestrial invaders.
Watch Beyond Skyline on Netflix [14].
The Cloverfield Paradox
This third instalment in the Cloverfield franchise takes place in 2028, revolving around a team of astronauts aboard a space station who are tasked with solving Earth's energy crisis. Once the team completes their mission, they are free to return home — but unfortunately, Earth has seemingly vanished.
Watch The Clover Paradox on Netflix [15].
Dark Skies
Keri Russell [16] stars in this supernatural horror flick as Lacy, a real estate agent who finds herself and her family plagued by a series of terrifying events. Lacy becomes determined to find the source of the deadly threat, and through research, she discovers that the threat may be supernatural.
Watch Dark Skies on Netflix [17].
District 9
In 1982, aliens discovered in Johannesburg, South Africa are brought by the government to a camp called District 9, where a team provides aid to the extraterrestrials while also studying their abilities. Nearly 30 years later, when a company field agent contracts a virus and begins to mutate into an alien himself, he has a choice: he can be subjected to painful science experiments or he can hide in District 9.
Watch District 9 on Netflix [18].
The Endless
In this sci-fi thriller, two brothers who escaped from a supposed UFO death cult 10 years earlier receive a mysterious video message, which convinces them to visit Camp Arcadia for the first time in a decade. At the camp, the brothers find that none of the cult members seem to have aged in their absence, and the longer the two men stay, the more unexplainable phenomena they encounter.
Watch The Endless on Netflix [19].
Revolt
In this action flick, two strangers — an American Special Forces soldier and a French foreign aid military doctor — meet in a Kenyan prison, where they're both being held captive. After escaping, the two must team up in order to survive an onslaught of terrifying alien robots and somehow find refuge.
Watch Revolt on Netflix [20].
Spectral
In this futuristic action film, the US military discovers the presence of mysterious (and deadly) apparitions, which have been claiming the lives of soldiers deployed in war-torn Moldova. Using advanced technology and weaponry, the soldiers must take on the ghostly alien force and save the capital from destruction.
Watch Spectral on Netflix [21].
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
In Steven Spielberg [22]'s classic 1982 movie, a young boy named Elliot befriends a good-natured alien and brings him to his home with the intention of raising him in secret. However, when government officials get word of E.T.'s presence, Elliot must help his alien friend return to his home.
Watch E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on Netflix [23].