They Live (1988)
You see them on the street. You watch them on TV. You might even vote for one this fall. You think they're people just like you. You're wrong. Dead wrong.
Keywords
They Live rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic
IMDb7.2/10· 162K votes
Rotten Tomatoes86%
Metacritic55%
TMDb7.297/10· 3K votesWith 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 7.2/10 on IMDb and 55/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been very positive.
About They Live
A lone drifter stumbles upon a unique pair of sunglasses that reveal aliens are systematically gaining control of the Earth by masquerading as humans and lulling the public into submission.
Cast of They Live
Roddy Piper
as John Nada
Keith David
as Frank Armitage
Meg Foster
as Holly Thompsen
George Buck Flower
as Drifter
Peter Jason
as Gilbert
Raymond St. Jacques
as Street Preacher
Jason Robards III
as Family Man
John Lawrence
as Bearded Man
Susan Barnes
as Brown Haired Woman
Sy Richardson
as Black Revolutionary
- W
Wendy Brainard
as Family Man's Daughter
- L
Lucille Meredith
as Female Interviewer
They Live facts
- Budget
- $4M
- Box office
- $13M
Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026MethodologyData sources
Audience opinions
What the audience liked
- •Satirical underpinnings provide thematic substance beneath genre exploitation trappings
- •Combat choreography delivers memorable practical effects-driven action spectacle
- •Philosophical questions about consumer culture linger after visceral entertainment ends
What the audience disliked
- •Rigid messaging occasionally overwhelms character development and natural dialogue flow
- •Technical execution shows age in ways that diminish credibility of central premise
Trailer
Where to watch They Live(US)
View on JustWatch →Rent / Buy
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At HomeAvailability may change. Data by JustWatch.
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