They Live: Critic Reviews

62%

MovieWeb: 0 reviews

88%

RottenTomatoes: 33 reviews

« previous
1
2
next »
«
»

Janet Maslin New York Times (Top Critic)

40

Credibility isn't the problem with John Carpenter's They Live... but execution is.
Full Review » 9 years ago
Richard Harrington Washington Post (Top Critic)

The plot for They Live is full of black holes, the acting is wretched, the effects are second-rate.
Full Review » 12 years ago
Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader (Top Critic)

50

All in all, an entertaining (if ideologically incoherent) response to the valorization of greed in our midst.
Full Review » 5 years ago
Variety (Top Critic)

A fantastically subversive film, a nifty little confection pitting us vs them, the haves vs the have-nots.
Full Review » 5 years ago
Film4

They Live is thought-provoking while maintaining its B-movie credentials.
Full Review » 4 years ago
TV Guide's Movie Guide

88

An erratically amusing throwback to the science-fiction paranoia films of the 1950s.
Full Review » 5 years ago
Derek Smith Cinematic Reflections

75

Carpenter's ability to fuse the bawdy humor and action with an intelligent script make for a genre film that is both thoughtful and entertaining
Full Review » 6 years ago
Stefan Birgir Stefansson sbs.is

88

great cult flick
Full Review » 6 years ago
Geoff Andrew Time Out

The black-and-white visuals disturb for only so long, and while themes of indoctrination and conspiracy prove initially intriguing, the film quickly descends into fistfights and gunfire.
Full Review » 6 years ago
Chuck O'Leary Fantastica Daily

60

Full Review » 7 years ago
Kevin Carr 7M Pictures

80

An excellent Carpenter film, if you can get past the fight scene.
Full Review » 7 years ago
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com

60

Full Review » 7 years ago
Thomas Delapa Boulder Weekly

40

Full Review » 7 years ago
Nick Schager Lessons of Darkness

The loopiest, and coolest, entry in the director's canon.
Full Review » 7 years ago
Mark Palermo Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

60

Full Review » 7 years ago
Kevin N. Laforest Montreal Film Journal

80

Full Review » 7 years ago
Luke Y. Thompson New Times

80

Kicks ass and chews bubblegum -- metaphorically speaking.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Andy Klein Los Angeles CityBeat

80

Full Review » 8 years ago
Daniel M. Kimmel Worcester Telegram & Gazette

60

Full Review » 8 years ago
Christopher Null Filmcritic.com

90

Piper is easily the star of the show, making They Live Carpenter's best film -- I don't care what you say.
Full Review » 9 years ago
Ken Hanke Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

70

As is often the case with Carpenter, the concept is better than the execution.
Full Review » 9 years ago
Blake Davis KFOR Channel 4 News

80

One of John Carpenter's better paranoid thrillers, featuring the great line of dialogue, I'm here to chew bubble gum and kick some ass. And I'm all out of bubble gum!
Full Review » 9 years ago
Brian Mckay eFilmCritic.com

100

Apparently the (rent) alien invaders (this) never read the studies (movie) that proved that (it) subliminal advertising (ain't) doesn't work (bad).
Full Review » 9 years ago
Rob Blackwelder SPLICEDWire

60

Full Review » 9 years ago
James Rocchi Netflix

70

An engaging and compelling minor sci-fi flick.
Full Review » 10 years ago