Best Alien Movies To Watch While High
Estimated 7-minute read
If you like aliens and you also like getting high, you’ve come to the right place. I have taken the time to watch a bunch of alien movies while high (grueling work, I know), and have compiled a list of my favorites so far. This list is by no means extensive, but I have tried to include a little bit of everything, to cater to varied tastes. (But if your taste actually excludes aliens… maybe you should check out another of our movie guides…)
Whether you’re in the mood for comedy, thrillers, space operas, action or drama, this list has them all. You might have already seen some of these… but consider this: do it while high.
Contact (1997)
- Starring: Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, James Wood, John Hurt
- Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
- Genre: Sci-Fi Drama
- Rating: PG
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 68%
This is one of my favorite films of all time, so of course I had to include it. This movie follows the story of one Doctor Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster), a brilliant radio astronomer who is obsessed with the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. One day, while she is listening to the radio waves emitted by distant stars, she finds a signal that seems to come from the Vega star system. And indeed, she and her team of scientists conclude that it comes from an intelligent source. So now it’s up to the humans to decipher the message, and figure out what we should do now that we know we are not alone.
There are many reasons why this movie is spectacular, from the star studded cast, to the great directing work by Robert Zemeckis (who is also the director behind Forrest Gump and the beloved sci-fi trilogy Back To The Future). The special effects are also very, very good for the time. The plot is engaging, emotional and the science behind this fiction is pretty solid as well. It’s always a treat when we get an actual astrophysicist writing science fiction. This movie was based on a novel by the same name, which was written by Carl Sagan, a scientist and also a stoner. Anyway, when I watched this movie when I was high it blew my mind. Watch the trailer here.
Flash Gordon (1980)
- Starring: Sam J Jones, Melody Anderson, Ornella Muti, Max von Sydow
- Directed by: Mike Hodge
- Genre: Space Opera
- Rating: PG
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82% (Certified Fresh)
This is an oldie but a goodie. It’s an old space opera. No, it is not an actual opera, so don’t expect any characters breaking out randomly into song. It’s just the way this kind of genre is called, which basically consists of dramatizing intergalactic war. This film was based on a 1937 comic strips created by Alex Raymond. The story follows our hero, Flash Gordon, who is a regular American Football player, a team member of the New York Jets. Flash gets lured into a rocketship, and somehow finds himself in the headquarters of an evil intergalactic emperor that wants to destroy the planet.
Okay, I must admit, this movie is definitely cheesy. But I think it’s really good, considering the fact that it was released a decade and a half before I was born. I recommend watching it while high because it’s… a bit ridiculous. It’s hilarious. I love watching old sci-fi and seeing all of their old school special effects and their fun sci-fi sounds. I especially recommend watching it while high because the soundtrack is delightful, as it is actually written by the famous British band Queen. If you wanna have a good laugh, you should check out this movie. Watch the trailer here.
Paul (2011)
- Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Kirstin Wiig, Seth Rogen,
- Directed by: Greg Mottola
- Genre: Sci-Fi Comedy, Road trip
- Rating: R
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 70%
In my humble opinion, this is THEE Alien Movie Made for Stoners. It’s a fantastic comedy starring known stoner Seth Rogen as this little alien called Paul. Rogen, a known fellow stoner, does the voice acting and motion capture for our funky alien pal. Paul is found on the side of the road by two friends visiting from Britain (played by Pegg and Frost), who are on a road trip to go visit the famous Area 51. After they rescue the alien, they realize they are being chased by the government, and try to come up with ways to evade them, finding love and friendship along the way.
This movie is really funny, and also has its heartwarming moments. I’m personally a big fan of the comedy Simon Pegg and Nick Frost do together. They have great chemistry and a sense of humor that tickles me the right way. It’s just a great, lighthearted film to watch with friends and a nicely packed KØL 2.0 bowl. If you’re interested, here’s a link to the trailer.
Signs (2002)
- Starring: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin.
- Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
- Genre: Sci-Fi Horror
- Rating: PG-13
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75% (Certified Fresh)
The first time I watched this movie, I was in middle school and way too young to appreciate it. The only thing I remember is being terrified by this, crushing my best friend’s hand with poorly-concealed tension. When I was older, I watched it while high and it absolutely sucked me in with the great acting, unending suspense and gripping plot line. This film is an incredible thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan, who has several good movies under his belt like the Oscar nominated Sixth Sense. This one is for the stoners that like scary aliens.
Graham Hess (Gibson) is a widowed farmer that lives with his two children in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. One morning, he finds that there are some massive and mysterious crop circles in his cornfield. At first, he is curious about the source of these circles, and the townspeople suggest that it might be a prank, or… extraterrestrials. Later, they see that several of these signs have cropped up around the world, and conclude that this, alongside many weird things happening around the Hess’ household, might be signs that we are not alone. A lot more happens, obviously, but if you want to see a bit more of this film, the trailer’s here.
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
- Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson
- Directed by: Doug Liman
- Genre: Sci-Fi Action
- Rating: PG-13
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91% (Certified Fresh)
Okay so this one is amazing, honestly. Basically what happens is that some aliens arrive on Earth via an asteroid, and they are out to conquer the world. So the humans get creative and build some cool looking mech suits to fight these extraterrestrial invaders. The “Mimics”, as the aliens are called, have already taken over most of continental Europe. So now, the humans are launching a campaign to take back France. This is where William Cage, played by Tom Cruise comes in. He is a soldier that is sent to the battle in France, which turns out to be a complete failure. Cage and his fellow soldiers die quickly upon landing. However, Cage finds himself stuck in a loop where, after he dies in France, he ends up waking up in London the day before the campaign.
This film is full of action, solid visual effects and a lot of explosions. The humor is great, as well as the alien’s design. Plus, mech suits are generally badass, in my opinion. Tom Cruise is famously known for doing all of his own stunts, and this movie is no exception. It didn’t do all that well at the box office when it came out, but don’t let those numbers deter you! I promise this movie is good. Watch the trailer if you’re curious.
Arrival (2016)
- Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, Tzi Ma
- Directed by: Dennis Villenueve
- Genre: Sci-Fi Drama
- Rating: PG-13
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95% (Certified Fresh)
And last, but definitely not least, is Arrival. This movie is about the linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) who gets recruited by the military to help them with their latest problem: twelve alien spaceships full of intelligent life with unknown intentions. It is Louise’s job to find a way to communicate with these aliens, and understand what their purpose on Earth is.
This movie is trippy as hell. The aliens are mysterious and wonderful. The editing, lighting, sound design and acting are also all top-notch. I personally adore movies that deal with time, languages and aliens, so when I watched this movie… I was blown away. The storytelling in this is superb. This film was also nominated for several Academy Awards in the year following its release, including Best Picture. I swear my little review is not going to do it any justice. Go watch it and judge it yourself. Here’s a link for a trailer if you’d like a sneak peek.
What other alien movies do you like to watch while high? Give me some recommendations in the comments below.
Author: Kite
Contact - Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved from: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1078021-contact
Paul - Rotten Tomatoes Retrieved from: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/paul
Flash Gordon - Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved from: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1007517-flash_gordon
Signs - Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved from: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/signs
Edge of Tomorrow - Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved from: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/live_die_repeat_edge_of_tomorrow
Arrival - Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved from: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/arrival_2016
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