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They Live (1988)

 They Live (1988)


RELEASED November 23, 1988 RUNTIME 94 mins 

DIRECTOR  John Carpenter  

WRITERS John Carpenter (screenplay), Ray Nelson (novel)

STARS Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster

COUNTRY United States LANGUAGE English STUDIOS Universal Pictures, 

Alive Films, Larry Franco Productions GENRES Science Fiction, Action

Streaming on: Peacock




The plot: 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.

Nada, 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.

Random observations

  • Keith David is a badass.
  • Would Roddy Piper seem as tough without his mullet?
  • This is the nicest fucking homeless camp I've ever seen.

I've seen They Live a billion times and I will watch it a billion more times. Perfect balance of all things Carpenter complete with Buck Flowers.





1/1 Directing

0.5/1 Cinematography

0.8/1 Visual design

0.7/1 Editing

0.6/1 Plot 

0.6/1 Dialogue

0.4/1 Acting

0.3/1 Soundtrack/Score/Sound

0.8/1 Originality

1/1 Rewatchability

Total: 6.7/10 Binge Bones




The verdict: If you haven't seen They Live yet, go watch it. If you HAVE seen They Live before watch it again anyway. Although the score can get monotonous, it's a fun ride every time. 


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