User reviews

I first saw this in the late 80s on a vhs n enjoyed the film as an action entertainer. Read about the underlying themes as years passed on but revisited it today. This movie is very relevant for today's time too n it is still very entertaining. The alley fight scene stayed with me since the late 80s. Roddy Piper n Keith David gave memorable performances.

WARNING: The author of this review loves challenging films.

They Live is based on a pulp sci-fi story about aliens who live among us and manipulate us through subliminal advertising, other mind control techniques, and sometimes, guns and bulldozers. Like most Carpenter films, its artistic, fun, intelligent and does not take itself too seriously.

As usual, Carpenter's casting is brilliant. Roddy Piper plays the good-hearted but not very bright construction worker who is both the hero and protagonist of the film. Keith David, whose character is just a little bit brighter, is his unwilling sidekick. Piper's character sees some strange goings-on in a local church, hears some weird paranoid ramblings from a street preacher, and becomes especially curious when the church is raided by 30-40 police officers and the vagrant camp where he lives is bulldozed one night. Soon after, he finds a pair of sunglasses in the now abandoned church, that literally changes his view of the world around him. The fight scene between David and Piper, while straight out of TV wrestling, is one of the most jarring and bizarre scenes in the movie - it goes on for a very long time - which nicely and subtly points out its significance in moving the plot forward. When Piper finally gets the sunglasses on David's face, he is vindicated and the last shred of doubt about his sanity disappears. From that point forward, they are both committed to saving the world from the alien menace. Further description of the plot would approach a spoiler so I won't go any further.

Both of the main characters succeed in dominating the screen, to the point that it is hard to even notice the contributions of the rest of the cast. Both actors are surprisingly good, though understandably typecast (these are, after all, two very big guys) but - who the hell is Keith David? look him up here on IMDb.com and I'm sure you'll be as surprised at I was. He's quite an accomplished character actor.

Raymond St Jacques, for all of his five or so minutes of screen time, makes a lasting impression, and Meg Foster is perfect for her ambiguity. Overall, the character development in this film is quite excellent despite the difficulty of pulling it off in a decidedly B sci-fi genre.

From an artistic and technical point of view, the film must be judged against Carpenter's other works. Carpenter has practically created his own film genre, and each of his films bears his mark very clearly. Carpenter's camera work is remarkable for its unremarkableness. He chooses not to use gimmicks and allows his cameras to tell the story without embellishing it. Like his version of The Thing, this technique fits very well in this film, as it helps the viewer suspend disbelief in what would otherwise seem as ludicrous as an episode of the X-Files.

Carpenter often makes his own soundtracks. Of these, the soundtrack for this film is very good, but terribly repetitive and, after a while, a bit grating. Nevertheless, its goofy redundancy helps to lend a comic edge to the film.

Is there a point?

I would argue that there is. Carpenter is always more interested in fun than poignancy, but he doesn't shy away from recognizing the value of the material he brings to the screen. Of all of his films, They Live is one of the most overtly political - as it carries some very clever messages about capitalism, conformity, poverty and the horror that everyday life can be for some people. This is all done, however, with a good sense of humor and an almost teenage sense of rebelliousness, all very typically Carpenter.

A great film for B-movie fans, intelligent sci-fi fans and those who enjoy film as an art form.

A fun film with a serious message.

More relevant now with 'social media' than ever.

If only more people would put the glasses on.

There's a world that is hidden and unseen, that manipulates although it's all been screened, imperceptibly subtle, will direct your every shuffle, it's a greedy and insatiable machine. All governed by those in the know, through foundations set down long ago, you're oblivious to it, though you support and pay forfeit, provide the toil, that helps it to grow. On occasion, it might let you join, to ensure there's a good flow of coin, keep up the façade, as they cheat and defraud, and continue their legal purloin.

Still a wonderful piece of observational filmmaking that seems to have grown more relevant, in more parts of the planet, as the years have regressed.

This movie is not so much about aliens who are hiding among us, but instead it taps into the deeply submerged suspicion held by most of us that we are being manipulated and taken advantage of by the elite of American society, by our leaders, by the rich, etc. Also, we sometimes feel that we are manipulated and programmed (in a subtle way) to respect hierarchical authority ( e.g., the "OBEY" subliminal command from the movie).

Some leftist thinkers might say that human societies are in a way being parasitized by the elite of their societies, and that the elite operate as a parasitic sub-society, living off of the lower classes. America might be said to be operated more in such a fashion (i.e., parasitized by the elite) than are the countries of western Europe. Obvious examples of this parasitic behavior are the "golden handshakes" and backscratching exchanged between corporate CEO's and the Boards of Directors of their companies. But it is far more pervasive than just that.

_They_Live_ uses the invisible alien elite as a proxy for our suspicions about how we are all being exploited by the elite of our real-life society, and how these elite are subtly programming us to accept this exploitation.

So, the major theme of the movie is not, as another poster correctly pointed out, about being manipulated to be good little consumers in a crassly commercial world. No, it is far more profound than that. Instead, it is more about how the working class Americans in _They Live_ are being exploited by the elite upper crust, who, in the movie, happen to be aliens, but who, in the real world, are a subsociety that use their collective power to exploit the rest of us.

Unfortunately, this movie sometimes has an unintentionally comic air to it. Still, the exploration of that theme is so rare in pop culture, and that theme is so profound, and reaches so far into what American society is, was, and is becoming, that this movie is a Must-See for anyone with an interest in politics and sociology.

I remember first seeing They Live when I was 10 and I totally fell in love with this film. How could a ten year old not? There's wrestlers, aliens and a plot to take over the world. My friends and I quoted this film for weeks on end with the Bubble gum and kicking @$$ line being a favourite among all. The only real complaint that I have about the film is that the aliens when finally revealed are far too human. They basically look like a skeleton with bug eyes. Not a whole lot of energy seemed to go into their design. While They Live will never be remembered as a film that redefined the way films were made, it still to this day holds a place in my heart as one of the films that just defines your youth. It is fun, action packed and has just enough cool storyline to keep you interested from start to finish.

This movie resonates in 2020 as hard as it can. Watch and learn millenials

My 5th favorite movie ever and 400th review on here! I'll probably either get hate or love but I am a conspiracy theorist and I believe everything about this masterpiece. There's so much profoundness in it and extremely important metaphors! I feel bad for anyone who doesn't believe something bizarre about earth even if it's not aliens we're definitely all being brainwashed! Also I love everything about Roddy Piper and his expressions. So happy to own a collector's edition of They Live, very much worth it! Quite unique and wonderful film!

Interesting and relevant entertainment from John Carpenter stars wrestling icon "Rowdy" Roddy Piper as beefy drifter "Nada", who arrives in an L.A. of a near future where the gulf separating social classes has become stronger than ever. Enjoying the hospitality of a community for homeless folks, he inadvertently discovers the strange truth: aliens are among us. Their real visages and subliminal messages are only visible when a person puts on special sunglasses, designed by a resistance movement. The aliens are in collusion with the most affluent people on Earth to keep the lower classes in a state of submission while they take advantage of our planets' resources.

Ultimately, "They Live" turns into a fairly conventional urban action flick, but it's certainly got some good ideas going for it. Carpenter, using a pseudonym, adapted the story "Eight O'Clock in the Morning" by Ray Nelson, and gives us a thoughtful meditation on how people can be manipulated by those that have all the power and influence, and a scathing indictment of the Reagan era 1980s.

"Rowdy" Roddy acquits himself well in the lead, and delivers an amiable performance. His dialogue is full of some choice quips. He's joined by the eternally cool Keith David, who's working with Carpenter for the first time since 1982s' "The Thing". Meg Foster is fine at portraying a beautiful but aloof woman whom Roddy continually encounters. Two Carpenter regulars, George "Buck" Flower and Peter Jason, have two of their best roles with him. Raymond St. Jacques is commanding as a blind preacher; other familiar faces in the cast include Sy Richardson, Susan Barnes, Norman Alden, and John F. Goff.

Carpenter composes another of his catchy electronic scores, and continues to make full use of the Panavision aspect ratio. Some of the best shots have both the homeless community and towering office buildings in the frame, quite literally showing two different worlds at once. The makeup on the aliens, admittedly, is pretty damn silly.

Of course, no summary of "They Live" is complete without mentioning one of the most epic of protracted fight scenes (between Roddy and Keith); every time you think it's over, it starts up again!

All in all, a solid entry in Carpenters' filmography that both amuses the viewer and provides some food for thought.

Seven out of 10.

If I had reviewed this film when I first saw it as a 17 year old, I would have been singing its praises. My memory tells me that it was a funny, action-packed film with a pretty important message about how society is controlled and controlling. If I had never re-watched this movie 33 years later, I would have gone on thinking that it was a good, fun, entertaining film. But... it's not. I'm not sure how it merits such a high rating--I guess that most of the reviewers are either teenagers seeing it for the first time, or adults seeing it through the lens of nostalgia.

So, what's wrong with this movie? Besides the interesting concept and relevant message... it's bad. There's no other way to put it. It starts off bad with a very boring, bland and dated setting. The music, which is usually good in Carpenter films, is grating, like a 70s porn soundtrack. The cast is mostly mediocre, 80s actors who weren't all that good at the time. The worst, of course, is the star: Roddy Piper. But perhaps it isn't the acting that's bad... maybe it's the script. Cheesy and stilted dialogue and juvenile one-liners that sounded smart when I was a kid... but they just sound dumb to my adult ears now. There are too many bad lines to share.

So... it's bad. Bad film-work, bad sets, bad dialogue, bad casting, bad acting, bad costumes, bad effects. If you were to look up the term "dated", this movie would fit. It has NOT aged well.

Ok, I will admit I have a soft spot for this movie. It's not Star Wars, or Raiders of the Lost Ark, or the Godfather. It's campy, cheesy, in places with laughably bad acting and dialogue (it come with starring wrestlers as main characters). However it has the infamous Rowdy Roddy Piper in the lead, and it has a surprisingly interesting hi-concept underlying story and plot. Aliens, Mind Control, Society enslaved to hidden powers and messages, everybody sleepwalking though life - this movie had all of these back in the 80's. Some of the concepts in this movie have seen reuse in much more recent projects, and with a little more polishing I think this movie could have made a far bigger splash.

If you like Dystopian, conspiracy, alien invasion movies then this movie is a great watch. I urge anyone who is a science fiction fan to give this movie a chance if you haven't seen it yet. Though it is helpful when watching if you try to see what it could have been, and look past the obvious shortcomings.

This film feels very prescient, given the prevalence of conspiracy theories about secret elite cabals controlling the population. It takes the old idea of 'blipverts' inserted into television programmes and dials that concept up to 11.

Unfortunately the pacing is terrible, and the acting is so bad that it defies belief. So much more could have been made of the concept, something truly unsettling and paranoid. But what we get is a generic action film, with some attempts at macho humour (especially the famous bubble-gum line). The alleyway fight scene encapsulates this wasted opportunity most of all.

John Carpenter is capable of so much better. What a shame.

An unemployed man in the 80s (of the WWF variety, complete with Mel-mullet) shows up in the big city looking for work, American Dream intact. He finds a "Hooverville"-like (perhaps Reaganville!) community that takes him in and finds work in construction. He notices that several of the providers are ostensibly up to no good and hold meetings at the local church. He stumbles upon a secret door and finds a stash of...80s sunglasses! After the community is destroyed by the police, our baffled working-class hero pops on a pair of the glasses, which allows him see the world as it really is, and wake up out of his sleeeepy false consciousness! Was Carpenter reading up on his Marx? Maybe! Either way, this sci-fi/action flick is fantastic, cheesy, and clever. "They Live" was obviously influenced by the excess of the 80s, but doesn't come across as dated and actually seems very relevant to the current cultural climate in the US. There are various flaws (namely, the creepy-in-a-bad-way Meg Foster and her character), but overall this is an excellent, amusing, and entertaining film. My Rating: 9.5/10

I discovered this movie when I was younger and fell in love. Rediscovering it now that I'm older makes me an appreciate the nuances in its meaning. It's a great tongue-in-cheek jab at consumerism and control.

John Carpenter does a great job at blending aliens living amongst us with the idea of governmental control and manipulation through advertisements. What would you do if you discovered you were being conditioned and manipulated by a non-human entity? Would you grab some bubble gum and kick some ass? Or would you give in to the powers that be and stay submissive? The decision is up to you.

John Nada (Roddy Piper) comes to L.A. to search for a Job. On the same working place, when he finds a job. John meets Frank (Keith David), Frank asks John to come along. Where Frank stays with poor people and a place to rest. Once he gets there, John watches television and sees some subliminal reporting by a scientist. The scientist is trying to get an important message on television by using frequency. John knows, there is something unusual going on at a house nearby. After a small band of cops are beating these poor people trying to find, where does that frequency is coming from. The next day, John goes to the house nearby and he finds one thing an open box. That box was hidden in the wall and when John open that box. He finds nothing but sunglasses. When he takes one of them, John sees a whole different world. A Bizarre look of L.A. in black & white with images full of subliminal advertising messages are visible though special glasses. Then he notice the only purpose of these glasses are the civilians are mixed with aliens population amongst them!

Directed by John Carpenter (Assault on Precient 13, Ghosts of Mars, The Thing-1982) made a extremely well made film mixed with action/sci-fi elements and a refreshing scene of humor. Piper is good here, he has some memorable scenes with some funny dialogue. The film's best line from Piper is "I come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass but i'm all out of bubble gum". There is also an unforgettable scene with Piper and David, when Piper asks David to put the glasses on. When David refuses to put them on. Piper and David get into a very funny fistfight scene that turned into a classic scene. The film might have a few flaws, only depending a matter of personal taste. The Alien Make-Up effects are extremely awful but intentionally funny. The film ends with a great pay-off. The film is hilarious at times and always fun to watch. Since this film like most Carpenter's works become a Cult Classic.

DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an good-Dolby Surround 2.0 Sound. Too Bad, Universal didn't release a Special Edition of this landmark independent film. The DVD from Europe, Carpenter and Piper recorded an running commentary track for this film in a two disc special edition. When in the U.S. get out Special Edition ? DVD doesn't have no features. This is a amusing satiric sci-fi adventure. Underrated to be sure, the film ages well despite awful alien make-up. Based on a Short Story by Ray Faraday Nelson titled "Three O'Clock in the Morning". Screenwriter "Frank Armitage" is actually director Carpenter. Panavision. (****/*****).

Just watched this clever and factional movie. With the world in lockdown right now, and politicians and their overlords bullying people out of their normal lives and telling untruths on TV. Well this film has some resonance there. Where's Roddy Piper when you need him. RIP to one of Saskatoon's finest. You left your mark down here with us brother.

Often called 'The Citizen Kane of 'B' Movies,' They Live sees an ingenious premise coated in a seriously tacky shell.

The 'everyday aliens' are genuinely creepy and Roddy Piper is surprisingly compelling as our leading man, in spite of his more well known wrestling persona. Yet ridiculous scenes like the everlasting fight scene that would rival family guy's Peter and the giant chicken and lines like 'life's a bitch...and she's back in heat' will detract somewhat from the seriousness of the message.

The obvious social commentary about the dangers of consumerist society stand up just as well today as it did in the 'greed is good' decade; and although They Live would never win any awards for subtlety, it's an entertaining and at times thought provoking slice of 80's action that's well worth a watch.

A lot of the gushing reviews of this film seem to concentrate almost entirely on 'its message and its relevance'. Ok, the core concept - a homeless man finds a pair of sunglasses which allow him to see an alien species living amongst us and sending out subliminal messages to control us - is reasonably intriguing, if not exactly spectacularly original. I can imagine how this may of been better received in the Reagan-era 1980s however the idea of an elite class using the media to condition and control the masses hardly makes for groundbreaking stuff reviewing this here in 2021.

Aside from that, pretty much everything else about this B-movie sci-fi actioner is dismal. The characters are flat, the acting is wooden, the direction is all over the place and the dialogue is bizarre and only funny in an "Oh my God this is so bad" sort of way. If this was genuinely supposed to be an attempt at satire then John Carpenter fell flat on his face. Good satire is delivered with a knowing wink which both the filmmakers and the audience are aware of and can share the joke. I was just confused most of the time watching this film. My partner actually said out loud "What the Hell is going on?!!" during the fight scene between Rod Piper and Keith David. Why did it last so long? Why was it so excessively violent? Why did both men walk away practically unscathed when in reality they'd both be in hospital afterwards? Ok I know it's an 80s action scene but come on, even the various Arnie vehicles of the 1980s were more believable than this and that's saying something!

I give this 3 out of 10, purely because I'm sure worse films exist, I rate Keith David as an actor and he was the only talent in this, and as I said the core concept is reasonably interesting. I seriously wouldn't waste your time on this though unless you have a fetish for really bad cult films.

The opening cinematography is excellent. The music is gorgeous. The scences that illustrate the life at the back end of USA are disturbingly truthful. The plot, as soon as They are revealed, becomes simplistic. The five minites fight scene is ridiculous.

Worth watching.