What is the iRankMovies score for The Day the Earth Stood Still?

Name: The Day the Earth Stood Still
Director: Scott Derrickson
Genre: drama, science-fiction, thriller
Released: 2008
Duration: 1 h 44 min
Rating: 5.5

The Day the Earth Stood Still has an iRankMovies score of 43.2/100, based on a weighted combination of IMDb (×3.0), Rotten Tomatoes (×2.0), Metacritic (×1.5), and TMDb (×1.0).

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)

We thought the Earth was ours. We were wrong.

Release:2008

Runtime:1h 44m

Country:Canada

Director:Scott Derrickson

Language:English

Genre

DramaScience FictionThriller

See the best drama movies →

Keywords

SpacecraftGovernmentPanicExtraterrestrial TechnologyUltimatumEvacuationTankAlien

iRank43

The Day the Earth Stood Still rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb5.5/10· 186K votes

Rotten Tomatoes21%

Metacritic40%

TMDb5.664/10· 4K votes

With 21% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 5.5/10 on IMDb and 40/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been modest.

About The Day the Earth Stood Still

A representative of an alien race that went through drastic evolution to survive its own climate change, Klaatu comes to Earth to assess whether humanity can prevent the environmental damage they have inflicted on their own planet. When barred from speaking to the United Nations, he decides humankind shall be exterminated so the planet can survive.

Cast of The Day the Earth Stood Still

Keanu Reeves
as Klaatu
Jennifer Connelly
as Helen Benson
Jaden Smith
as Jacob Benson
Jon Hamm
as Michael Granier
Kathy Bates
as Regina Jackson
John Cleese
as Professor Barnhardt
Kyle Chandler
as John Driscoll
Robert Knepper
as Colonel
Brandon T. Jackson
as Target Tech
James Hong
as Mr. Wu
Jake McLaughlin
as Soldier
John Rothman
as Dr. Myron

The Day the Earth Stood Still facts

Budget: $80M
Box office: $233.1M

Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026Methodology Data sources

Audience opinions

What the audience liked

•Environmental message adds meaningful thematic weight to sci-fi allegory
•Alien contact premise explores humanity from external perspective thoughtfully
•Special effects showcase modern technological advancement in visual effects

What the audience disliked

•Preachy dialogue undermines narrative flow with heavy-handed environmental messaging
•Critics fault sluggish pacing and lack of dramatic tension throughout