They Live (1988)
85%RT Audience Score: 79%
Awards & Nominations: 4 nominations
A politically subversive blend of horror and sci fi, They Live is an underrated genre film from John Carpenter
They Live” is a movie that’s so bad it’s good. The action scenes are hilariously outrageous and the dialogue is asinine, but that’s what makes it so entertaining. Plus, it’s got layers of political and social commentary that you can totally ignore if you just want to watch Rowdy Roddy Piper kick some alien butt. It’s the perfect movie to watch with a group of friends and some beers. Just don’t forget to put on your sunglasses.
Production Company(ies)
Daiei
Distributor
Image Entertainment Inc., MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
1988
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby Surround 7.1 Dolby Atmos
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:1h 33m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 23, 1988 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 7, 2003
Genre(s)
Horror
Keyword(s)
Worldwide gross: $13,008,928
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $33,308,597
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,510
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 3,632,344
US/Canada gross: $13,008,928
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $33,308,597
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,241
US/Canada opening weekend: $4,827,903
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $12,361,562
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 887
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $4,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $10,241,765
Production budget ranking: 1,657
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $5,515,191
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $17,551,641
ROI to date (est.): 111%
ROI ranking: 896
Keith David – Frank
Meg Foster – Holly
George “Buck” Flower – Drifter
Peter Jason – Gilbert
Raymond St. Jacques – Street Preacher
Director(s)
John Carpenter
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Larry J. Franco
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
4 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (65) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (55) | Rotten (10)
The film was was responding to the start of the US rust belt and Reagan-era consumerism, but its themes of working-class subjugation and omnipresent media control have only become more pressing.
October 25, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
Phil Hoad
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Carpenter’s primary objective was to make a tough action flick, which he does; it fits snugly into his filmography’s subset of urban mayhem movies (alongside ‘Escape from New York,’ ‘Assault on Precinct 13,’ and parts of ‘Big Trouble in Little China’).
February 17, 2017
Jason Bailey
Flavorwire
TOP CRITIC
Behold the message as articulated by John Carpenter’s sublime sci-fi opus: “I’m giving you a choice: Either put on these glasses, or start eating that trashcan.”
December 1, 2013 | Rating: 4/4
Calum Marsh
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
As a movie, They Live is lethargic. As election propaganda, it’s terrific.
August 6, 2013 | Rating: 2/4
Desmond Ryan
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
John Carpenter’s They Live has cult favorite written all over it, and part of the reason is the way it regenerates the cheap, juicy, surprisingly potent sci-fi of the 1950s.
August 6, 2013
Jay Carr
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
They Live is the looniest movie of the season and also one of the most engaging.
October 10, 2012 | Rating: 3/4
Dave Kehr
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
They Live is pure Carpenter and a quintessential cult classic.
February 14, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
A strong and smart premise is derailed by weak direction, acting and script. [Full review in Spanish]
May 27, 2021 | Rating: 2/5
Fico Cangiano
CineXpress Podcast
Hilariously outrageous action scenes and asinine dialogue ultimately overshadow the layers of political and social commentary.
September 8, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Whereas I saw an intriguing satire on ’80s materialism and conservative economic policy, Piper saw a badass action movie being made by a director at the top of his game.
July 4, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4
Matthew Rozsa
Good Men Project
A direct and effective direction that never gives itself to unnecessary trappings, ‘They Live’ has not lost a bit of the freshness that it already had three decades ago. [Full Review in Spanish]
September 4, 2019
Sergio Benítez
Espinof
Carpenter eviscerates American consumerism and materialism, Reaganomics, as well as questions the vast class divide which exists in most American cities.
April 29, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
C.H. Newell
Father Son Holy Gore…
Plot
Nada, a down-on-his-luck construction worker, discovers a pair of special sunglasses. Wearing them, he is able to see the world as it really is: people being bombarded by media and government with messages like “Stay Asleep”, “No Imagination”, “Submit to Authority”. Even scarier is that he is able to see that some usually normal-looking people are in fact ugly aliens in charge of the massive campaign to keep humans subdued.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no specific tidbit about someone in the cast mentioned in the Fresh Kernels database.
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