Shubhabrata Dutta
The concept of life existing beyond Earth has fascinated humankind for a long, long time. We have always imagined what it would be like to meet a living being from any other planet that can sustain life. As we have never known what an alien may sound or look like, it has given rise to numerous speculations in our fantasies. We have sometimes projected aliens as benevolent creatures, like in Steven Spielberg‘s blockbuster ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial’ (1982), and another film has also done so in a very intelligent way — Denis Villeneuve‘s ‘Arrival‘ (2016). Whether we shall ever be able to make contact with extraterrestrial beings remains a debatable topic, but what must be said is that it has given rise to some great science fiction concepts and films. The following movies on Netflix explore this uncharted territory in the best way.
4. We Can Be Heroes (2020)
The adult Heroics, Earth’s superheroes, have been taken captive by aliens, and it is up to their super-powered children to rescue them and save the planet. Tween Missy Moreno (Yaya Gosselin) has to team up with the rest of the super kids to escape the mysterious government safe house, to which they have been brought in for safety under orders of Ms. Granada (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), and find a way to get to their parents, including Missy’s superhero father Marcus Moreno (Pedro Pascal). Directed by Robert Rodriguez, ‘We Can Be Heroes’ is a standalone sequel to the cult classic movie ‘The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D’ (2005). You can stream it here.
3. The Manhattan Alien Abduction (2024)
Directed by Vivienne Perry and Daniel Vernon, ‘The Manhattan Alien Abduction’ is a docuseries that tells the story of Linda Napolitano, a New York housewife, who claims to have been abducted by aliens from her 12th-floor apartment in Manhattan on November 30, 1989. Through dramatic reenactments, interviews with her and other people who claim to have seen her levitating outside her building, archival footage, and photographs, the series tries to find out the truth behind the claims, bringing into the discussion other sightings and the existence of aliens in general. As bizarre as it is somewhat scary, ‘The Manhattan Alien Abduction’ is a bingeworthy documentary you can stream right here.
2. The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)
This is the third film of the Cloverfield trilogy, but it could not match up to the popularity or critical acclaim the earlier films received. This movie tells the story of a time when the earth’s energy resources were so depleted that space agencies all across the world came up with the idea of testing a particle accelerator to generate limitless amounts of energy. However, some skeptics think doing such a thing would only lead to catastrophe.
However, a mission is sent to space to carry out the test, and it opens a wormhole-like dimension called the Cloverfield Paradox. The people in the space station suffer from explosions and other abnormalities created by an unknown magnetic field when the Cloverfield Paradox is triggered. The movie goes on to show something from which we understand how it is connected with the other two features of the trilogy. One interesting thing must be pointed out here. The entire trilogy very smartly used different approaches for each of the films: the first one is a found footage movie; the second one looks like an indie thriller, and the third one goes for a blockbuster effect. You can watch ‘The Cloverfield Paradox’ here.
1. Horse Girl (2020)
A psychological drama starring Alison Brie, ‘Horse Girl’ doesn’t say to your face that it is an alien abduction, but it keeps on picking at your brain about it. In the film, we meet Sarah, who works at a crafts store. She is an introvert burdened with absurd dreams that may or may not be a result of her mental health problems. However, she thinks that she is undergoing her experiences owing to the probability that she is a clone of her dead grandmother. Is she right? To find out, you can stream the film here.
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