It Came from Outer Space
A skeptical Arizona writer becomes the lone witness to a buried alien arrival while his frightened neighbors turn suspicion into danger.
Overview
A small town in Arizona becomes the battleground for humanity's survival against an unseen alien threat.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- eerie
- foreboding
- paranoid
- classic sci fi night
- retro horror marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an atmospheric and suspenseful classic of 1950s science fiction whose imaginative ideas and direction outweigh its simplified logic.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The townspeople interpret the crashed spacecraft and altered residents as threats, while John Putnam questions their assumptions.
The meteorite crash, buried spacecraft, and first alien encounter all unfold in the Arizona desert.
The film's black-and-white desert roads, crater, and glimpsed alien form generate its central visual atmosphere.
John alone sees the spacecraft and creature, and Sheriff Matt Warren and the townspeople initially reject his account.
Films like It Came from Outer Space, and why
The Thing from Another World
1950s science fiction horror, alien encounter, black-and-white atmosphere, and small-town paranoia
The Day the Earth Stood Still
black-and-white extraterrestrial visitation, Cold War-era anxiety, and suspenseful first-contact mystery
The War of the Worlds
alien arrival, desert setting, anti-mob themes, and classic science fiction suspense
Movie Details
- Director
- Jack Arnold
- Release Date
- 1953-06-05
- Runtime
- 80 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (259)
Cast
- Richard Carlson
- Barbara Rush
- Charles Drake
- Joe Sawyer
- Russell Johnson
- Kathleen Hughes
- Dave Willock
- Alan Dexter
- George Eldredge
- Edgar Dearing
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Cultpix, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- 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 It Came from Outer Space about?
- A skeptical Arizona writer becomes the lone witness to a buried alien arrival while his frightened neighbors turn suspicion into danger.
- What is It Came from Outer Space like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of It Came from Outer Space as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is It Came from Outer Space violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in It Came from Outer Space as mild.
- What did critics think of It Came from Outer Space?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an atmospheric and suspenseful classic of 1950s science fiction whose imaginative ideas and direction outweigh its simplified logic.
- Which films are like It Came from Outer Space?
- Films with a similar feel include The Thing from Another World, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and The War of the Worlds.
- How long is It Came from Outer Space?
- It Came from Outer Space runs 80 minutes.
- Where can I watch It Came from Outer Space?
- In United States, It Came from Outer Space streams on Amazon Prime Video, Cultpix, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
