They Live (1988): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
They Live is a 1988 action thriller directed by John Carpenter, starring Roddy Piper and Keith David. It runs 1 hour 33 minutes and earned $13.5 million worldwide. Critics gave it 55 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.2/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 33m (93 min)
- Director
- John Carpenter
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Universal Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is They Live About?
The premise of They Live without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A drifter arrives in a small town and finds work as a construction hand. He soon discovers that the townspeople, and indeed much of the population, are being controlled by hidden messages embedded in everyday media. Wearing a pair of special sunglasses, he sees the world as it really is: aliens concealing their appearance and manipulating people into consumerism and obedience. He must then fight back against this insidious control to awaken others to the truth and challenge the alien agenda.
They Live Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- sunglasses
- anti consumerism
- brainwashing
- subliminal message
- conspiracy
- capitalism
- resistance
- dystopia
- social commentary
- teleportation
- advertising
- alien
+38 more Show fewer
- learning the truth
- deception
- manipulative behavior
- conspiracy theory
- stomping on someone's foot
- homeless camp
- social satire
- mind control
- construction worker
- alien conspiracy
- alien infiltration
- political satire
- fighting the system
- fistfight
- anti authority
- tough guy
- metaphor
- helicopter
- materialism
- allegory
- woman on top
- sex with alien
- anti conformity
- dark glasses
- manipulation
- conspiracy theorist
- gospel singing
- worker
- following someone
- social outcast
- black and white sequence
- pretending to be someone else
- mass murderer
- drone
- hostage
- breaking a window
- homoerotic fight
- flying saucer
They Live Cast
Roddy Piper leads the cast, with Keith David. Directed by John Carpenter.
-
Director John Carpenter
More from John Carpenter
More films directed by John Carpenter, best-rated first: Halloween, Assault on Precinct 13, Escape from New York and The Thing.
They Live Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave They Live 55 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.2/10.
-
IMDb 7.2 /10
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 55 Metascore
User score 7.4
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 73% User score
See on TMDB
They Live Plot Summary
What happens in They Live from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
George Nada, portrayed by Roddy Piper, is a down-and-out laborer who arrives in Los Angeles in search of employment. The city is rife with economic hardship, leaving many, including Nada, to struggle in shantytowns. After listening briefly to a street preacher (Raymond St. Jacques), he dismisses the man’s warnings and flees from impending police trouble.
Full summary
The whole story of They Live, scene by scene
They Live Box Office
They Live grossed $13.5 million worldwide. $13.4 million came from the US and Canada and $1,160 (0%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$13.5M
- US & Canada
- $13.4M
- International
- $1.2K
They Live Trailers & Videos
10 videos: 1 trailer, 4 clips, 4 featurettes and 1 behind-the-scenes video.
- Clip Roddy Piper's Alien Glasses
- Clip I Have Come Here to Chew Bubblegum and Kick Ass
- Clip Meg Foster Hits Roddy Piper With a Bottle
- Clip The Long Fight
How Well Do You Know They Live?
9 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 9
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
Who is the main character of 'They Live'?
Cars in They Live
52 cars on screen, including the 1988 BMW 325 E30 and the Caterpillar 966 D.
-
1988 BMW 325 E30 Important role -
Caterpillar 966 D Minor role -
1975 Chevrolet Blazer Minor role -
1973 Chevrolet Caprice Estate Minor role
They Live Also Known As
36 alternative titles, including “They Live!” and “John Carpenter's They Live”.
- Also known as
-
- They Live!
- John Carpenter's They Live
- Они живут
- Oni žijí!
- Вони живі
- Чужі серед нас
- Чужие среди нас
- John Nada: De Hel Breekt Los
- Sobreviven
- Invasion Los Angeles
- Ζουν Ανάμεσα Μας
- Están vivos
+24 more Show fewer
- Yaşayırlar
- Sie leben!
- Essi vivono
- Eles Vivem
- Yaşıyorlar
- Pahan kehä
- Oni żyją
- Elpusztíthatatlanok
- Ζουν Ανάμεσά Μας
- Jsou mezi námi
- ゼイリブ
- Ei trăiesc
- מחיר החיים
- 화성인 지구정복
- X光人
- Вони живуть
- Те живеят
- 极度空间
- ไม่ใช่ผี ไม่ใช่คน
- ¡Sobreviven!
- Chúng Nó Sống
- Jie Gyvi
- Oni žive
- Nad elavad
Seen They Live?
Movies Like They Live
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Them, They Are Among Us and Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
They Live FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of They Live, each answered in a sentence.
How long is They Live?
They Live runs 1 hour 33 minutes (93 minutes).
When was They Live released?
They Live was released on November 4, 1988.
Who directed They Live?
They Live was directed by John Carpenter.
More films by John Carpenter Who is in the cast of They Live?
They Live stars Roddy Piper and Keith David.
How much did They Live make at the box office?
They Live grossed $13.5 million worldwide ($13.4 million domestic, $1,160 international).
How is They Live rated?
They Live has 7.2/10 on IMDb, 55 on Metacritic and 73% on TMDB.
Does They Live have a post-credit scene?
No. They Live has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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