They Live

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They Live

R

1988

1h 33m

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

78 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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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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Chris Bennion

The Times (UK)

02/02/2024

It is a big, silly barrel of fun, with a delirious, tongue-in-cheek script...

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Phil Hoad

Guardian

10/25/2018

4/5

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.

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Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

02/17/2017

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').

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Mike Pearson

Denver Rocky Mountain News

Jun 22

Keith David, Roddy Piper and Meg Foster deliver competent performances, and the story's climax is infinitely more satisfying than its sluggish beginning.

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Richard Freedman

Newark Star-Ledger

Jan 7

0/4

Swamped in cliches and bone-weary with lack of inspiration, "They Live" is a sad science-fiction comedown for director John Carpenter.

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John Ferguson

Radio Times

09/13/2024

3/5

Piper handles the action scenes better than he deals with dialogue, but he is well supported by Keith David and Meg Foster.

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Gabriel T

Jun 23

An extremely fun John Carpenter classic! Seeing it on the big screen again brought back teenage memories.

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Jason

12/29/2023

one of the best movies ever made probably more true than we know

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Cody

06/22/2022

A True Classic that rings true today.

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Cameron B

@CameronLand 6d

They Live is what happens when John Carpenter looks at capitalism, aliens, and the entire goddamn human race and says, "Yeah, let’s punch this thing in the face." It’s gloriously weird, hilariously blunt, and somehow gets more relevant the more you realize everyone around you might actually be wearing the sunglasses. Roddy Piper is pure charisma, Keith David brings the cool, and the movie delivers one of cinema’s all-time great "holy shit" moments. Is it subtle? Absolutely not. But subtlety is for cowards. They Live is a hilarious, paranoid, sci-fi middle finger to conformity.

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Landon J

@Minxsykitty Jul 30

A classic in my book, maybe in Carpenter's top 3. Roddy sweats pure badass. I appreciate the no nonsense approach, has a real clarity of purpose and execute itself excellently. And 'ahem' what a poignant message. "Put on these glasses, or start eatin' that trash can!"

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Shawn R

@satiable Jul 1

Such an absolute classic of a movie. I couldn't get sick of it, even if I tried!

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John Carpenter

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Roddy Piper

Nada

Keith David

Frank

Meg Foster

Holly

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Drifter

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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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