The 10 Best Alien Abduction Movies In Horror History
I don’t know about you, but as a child, nothing scared me more than the idea of getting abducted by aliens. It’s impossible that we’re the only living organisms in the universe. But in not knowing the actual truth about extraterrestrial life, filmmakers have been able to create countless stories about what could be watching us from the stars. Director Gino McKay examines just that in his feature film debut Lumina, coming to theaters on July 12, 2024.
In Lumina, “Four friends desperately searching for their abductee friend in a DUMB – DEEP UNDERGROUND MILITARY BASE. What they uncover in the deserts of the US to the sands of the Sahara, will change their lives forever.”
In honor of the upcoming release of Lumina, we’re looking at the 10 best alien abduction movies of all time. Proceed with caution if the idea of lights in the sky sends a chill down your spine.
Fire In The Sky
While Fire In The Sky as a whole isn’t the scariest movie, it features the single most terrifying abduction sequence in horror history. Most of the film takes place on Earth in a logging town, but when we’re brought into the spaceship, Fire In The Sky becomes something entirely different. The sequence is dizzying, claustrophobic, and deeply upsetting as Travis Walton (D.B. Sweeney) is stripped of his clothes and assaulted by extraterrestrials. Even more frightening is the fact that this film is based on the real-life Walton’s own alleged alien abduction experience.
Communion
Philippe Mora‘s camp alien abduction classic features Christopher Walken’s most unhinged performance as he plays Whitley Streiber, the author of the book on which this film is based. The film is supposed to be an adaptation of Streiber’s experiences, but it devolves into unintended comedy as Walken drifts across the screen like a weird jellyfish. It’s still very much worth a watch, especially for Streiber’s abduction sequence.
The Fourth Kind
Olatunde Osunsanmi‘s feature film debut claimed to be a dramatic reenactment of actual events that unfolded in Nome, Alaska. Despite mixed reactions, there’s no denying the horrific impact of some of the film’s alien contact sequences that supposedly boasted real footage of alien abduction. It’s not purely a found footage film, but The Fourth Kind definitely utilized those techniques to craft a new kind of terror.
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
This Steven Spielberg classic features one of the scariest and most beautiful alien abduction scenes of all time. Here, Jillian tries to save her three-year-old son from being taken by a strange craft. But the way Spielberg imagines the experience of abduction is harrowing as she does everything to keep her son safe, but nothing helps. There’s no stopping these aliens and it’s devastating to watch Jillian watch her son be taken away.
Hole In The Sky: The Sean Miller Story
This underrated found footage film from 2022 needs to be on more watchlists. It’s a low-budget take on alien abduction, but that doesn’t make it any less impactful in this story about a man just searching for answers. It’s framed as a documentary, with the crew learning along with the audience about the truth about Sean Miller.
Phoenix Forgotten
This 2017 found footage film follows a young woman who, 20 years after the disappearance of her brother, finds the tapes he filmed the night he vanished. The tapes chronicle a harrowing night where three friends try to survive a night pursued by strange aircraft, cops, and government officials. It’s another great example of how found footage can be used to create a terrifying glimpse into experiences with extraterrestrials.
No One Will Save You
Brian Duffield’s dialogue-less alien film No One Will Save You was one of last year’s best and most unique films. Focused almost entirely on Kaitlyn Dever’s Brynn, it’s a fast-paced tale of survival in the face of alien life. The lore Duffield created with his brand of alien is fascinating, even if only hinted at through glimpses inside their massive ship. This is a must-watch and it’s streaming on Hulu.
The McPherson Tape
One of the first found footage films was an alien abduction film so convincing that alien research groups still claim it’s actual footage of alien contact. The film is framed as a simple home video at a family birthday party that quickly devolves into chaos when an alien craft crashes nearby. Director Dean Alioto makes something so authentic that conspiracy theorists still think he’s lying about the film’s authenticity, decades after its release.
The Vast Of Night
Andrew Patterson‘s feature film debut is a stunning piece of sci-fi that harkens back to the days of radio dramas. Plus, it features an incredibly constructed long take at the beginning that zooms through a crowded basketball game and packed parking lot. It’s not only a great alien abduction horror, but a beautiful testament to the power of storytelling.
The X-Files
This isn’t the 1998 film, but rather the series as a whole, which dealt with all matters of alien abduction, including Mulder’s own experience. No single piece of media shaped me more than The X-Files, giving me a deep, primal fear of the possibility of extraterrestrial life. It’s hard to pick the best episode about abduction, but my personal favorite would have to be season 2, episode 5, “Duane Barry”.
Lumina is exclusively in theaters on July 12, 2024.
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