They Live
Rent/Purchase
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.
What critics thought
They Live has developed a stronger reputation over time than its original reception suggests — contemporary critics found it underdeveloped and narratively sloppy, while later audiences and cultural commentators have embraced it as sharp political allegory. The central concept of sunglasses that reveal hidden ideological control is widely admired; the argument is over whether Carpenter does nearly enough with it.
“Carpenter's wit and storytelling craft make this fun and watchable, although the script takes a number of unfortunate shortcuts, and the possibilities inherent in the movie's central concept are explored only cursorily.”
Jonathan Rosenbaum·Chicago Reader
“Since Mr. Carpenter seems to be trying to make a real point here, the flatness of They Live is doubly disappointing. So is its crazy inconsistency, since the film stops trying to abide even by its own game plan after a while.”
Janet Maslin·The New York Times
“it's just John Carpenter as usual, trying to dig deep with a toy shovel. The plot for They Live is full of black holes, the acting is wretched, the effects are second-rate.”
Richard Harrington·The Washington Post
“the movie never gets beyond the pop Orwell premise. The social commentary wipes clean with a dry towelette – it's not intrusive and not pedantic, just lighter-than-air.”
Rick Groen·The Globe and Mail
Genres
Science Fiction, Action, Thriller
Cast & Crew
DirectorJohn Carpenter
StarringRoddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster, George Buck Flower, Peter Jason
ComposerJohn Carpenter, Alan Howarth
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.
What critics thought
They Live has developed a stronger reputation over time than its original reception suggests — contemporary critics found it underdeveloped and narratively sloppy, while later audiences and cultural commentators have embraced it as sharp political allegory. The central concept of sunglasses that reveal hidden ideological control is widely admired; the argument is over whether Carpenter does nearly enough with it.
“Carpenter's wit and storytelling craft make this fun and watchable, although the script takes a number of unfortunate shortcuts, and the possibilities inherent in the movie's central concept are explored only cursorily.”
Jonathan Rosenbaum·Chicago Reader
“Since Mr. Carpenter seems to be trying to make a real point here, the flatness of They Live is doubly disappointing. So is its crazy inconsistency, since the film stops trying to abide even by its own game plan after a while.”
Janet Maslin·The New York Times
“it's just John Carpenter as usual, trying to dig deep with a toy shovel. The plot for They Live is full of black holes, the acting is wretched, the effects are second-rate.”
Richard Harrington·The Washington Post
“the movie never gets beyond the pop Orwell premise. The social commentary wipes clean with a dry towelette – it's not intrusive and not pedantic, just lighter-than-air.”
Rick Groen·The Globe and Mail
Genres
Science Fiction, Action, Thriller
Cast & Crew
DirectorJohn Carpenter
StarringRoddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster, George Buck Flower, Peter Jason
ComposerJohn Carpenter, Alan Howarth
Rent/Purchase