The alien invasion has become one of science fiction cinema’s most popular storylines. Its appeal is simple : playing on our longing to know if there is life in the universe beyond our own and wondering what would happen if they did ever contact us but weren’t so friendly.

And so, with the recent release of Independence Day: Resurgence, Aroundtable has decided to list some of the most underestimated alien invasion films in modern cinema.

They Live (1988)

Roddy Piper plays a drifter who discovers a pair of sunglasses that allow him to see that all the world’s leaders have been replaced by aliens and who are sending out subliminal commands to the human population in order to keep us under control.

They Live is a low budget guilty pleasure that made up of one part action thriller, and one part satire. It showcases director John Carpenter's distaste over the ever increasing commercialism of the 80’s.

The Arrival (1996)

This low budget, yet effective thriller stars Charlie Sheen as a radio astronomer whose search for extraterrestrial life leads him to discover a conspiracy involving an imminent alien attack. The Arrival is a smart and engaging film thanks to director/ writer David Twchy, whose script manages to incorporate some of the same interesting elements found in the X-Files series.