Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
A determined scientist races to turn humanity’s space-age ingenuity against an overwhelming flying-saucer invasion.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- earnest
- pulp adventure
- retro camp
- classic sci fi night
- drive-in movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as entertaining but uneven, with Ray Harryhausen’s special effects providing its strongest appeal despite clichéd writing and dated presentation.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The flying saucers announce an organized invasion, attack Earth, and threaten human enslavement.
Dr. Russell Marvin decodes the alien message and develops the anti-magnetic weapon intended to save humanity.
The flying saucers and their attacks are presented through stop-motion and model effects associated with Ray Harryhausen.
The military space program, mysterious satellite failures, and superior alien technology frame the invasion through 1950s technological anxiety.
Films like Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, and why
The War of the Worlds
1950s alien invasion science fiction with militarized global threat and iconic practical effects
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
classic flying-saucer invasion science fiction with Cold War-era paranoia and extraterrestrial menace
Mars Attacks!
camp-inflected alien invasion spectacle and affectionate engagement with 1950s science fiction conventions
The Day the Earth Stood Still
retro monster science fiction centered on destructive extraterrestrial technology and practical visual effects
Movie Details
- Director
- Fred F. Sears
- Release Date
- 1956-06-13
- Runtime
- 83 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (188)
Cast
- Hugh Marlowe
- Joan Taylor
- Donald Curtis
- Morris Ankrum
- Thomas Browne Henry
- Grandon Rhodes
- John Zaremba
- Paul Frees
- Frank Wilcox
- Sydney Mason
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Bloodstream
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Earth vs. the Flying Saucers about?
- A determined scientist races to turn humanity’s space-age ingenuity against an overwhelming flying-saucer invasion.
- What is Earth vs. the Flying Saucers like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Earth vs. the Flying Saucers as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Earth vs. the Flying Saucers violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Earth vs. the Flying Saucers as mild.
- What did critics think of Earth vs. the Flying Saucers?
- Critics broadly regard the film as entertaining but uneven, with Ray Harryhausen’s special effects providing its strongest appeal despite clichéd writing and dated presentation.
- Which films are like Earth vs. the Flying Saucers?
- Films with a similar feel include The War of the Worlds, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Mars Attacks!, and The Day the Earth Stood Still.
- How long is Earth vs. the Flying Saucers?
- Earth vs. the Flying Saucers runs 83 minutes.
- Where can I watch Earth vs. the Flying Saucers?
- In United States, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers streams on Bloodstream.
