Debapriya Bhattacharya
The unidentified flying object (UFO) has captured human interest and imagination for centuries. This may be attributed to the fact that it is linked with one of the most significant questions that our species has ever asked: “Are we alone in the universe?” The subject has sparked countless debates, launched private and government-funded research, and inspired stories across all formats. UFOs have been a popular subject for big and small screen works of science fiction, as well as for documentaries made on searching for them. Many such examples can be found on Netflix, with the streaming giant also producing original content that digs into the matter. Whether you are a believer or not, the following movies and shows on UFOs are sure to be an entertaining watch.
9. Investigation Alien (2024)
A docuseries by investigative journalist George Knapp, ‘Investigation Alien,’ depicts him hunting down potential reports of UFO sightings and extraterrestrial activities. From the early 1980s, Knapp has spent his career digging into such reports and looking for proof of alleged government coverups. His efforts have led to uncovering information on Area 51 and the Pentagon’s Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. In the series, he is seen travelling around the globe to collect more evidence and testimony from alleged witnesses about UFO sightings, crash landings, and more. He is accompanied by a team comprising former military investigators, journalists, and scientists. For a realistic picture of a modern-day UFO hunt, watch the show here.
8. Chosen (2022)
Created by Jannik Tai Mosholt, Kaspar Munk, and Christian Potalivo, the Danish series ‘Chosen’ follows Emma (Malaika Berenth Mosendane), a teenager living in the small and uneventful town of Middelbo, where a meteorite crashed 17 years ago. She loses her job as a guide at the meteorite tourist attraction when a schoolkid touches and breaks the meteorite on display. Later, she comes across a group of youngsters who are investigating strange occurrences in the town. They share their suspicion that the thing that actually crashed into the town years ago was a spaceship, and the entities it brought along have hostile intent. Intrigued, Emma joins their quest to uncover the truth. A thrilling addition to the alien sci-fi genre, you can watch the series here.
7. Blasted (2022)
Directed by Martin Sofiedal, the Norwegian film ‘Blasted’ revolves around childhood friends Mikkel (Fredrik Skogsrud) and Sebastian (Axel Bøyum), who reunite over the latter’s bachelor party. Revered for their skills in laser tag when they were teenagers, the duo is forced to rely on their skillset once again as the party becomes ground zero for an alien invasion. By a stroke of good luck, the aliens are susceptible to laser tag guns. Originally titled ‘Blasted: Gutta vs Aliens,’ ‘Blasted’ is a sci-fi comedy that makes up for a fun, light-hearted watch by refusing to take itself too seriously. You can watch the film here.
6. Encounters (2023)
Helmed by Yon Motskin, the documentary series ‘Encounters’ presents four stories of alleged run-ins with extraterrestrial life on Earth in as many episodes. It includes tales of submersible spacecraft supposedly witnessed off the coast of a Welsh village, reports of non-human intelligence tampering with the functioning of a nuclear power plant in Japan, and testimonies of alien sightings by a group of children in Zimbabwe. Yon asks his audience to keep their skepticism at bay as he attempts to back up the stories with revelations from military whistleblowers of covert Pentagon programs. The creator wears his faith in aliens on his sleeves and does his best to convince us of the same. Follow the show on Netflix.
5. Paul (2011)
‘Paul’ by Greg Mottola incorporates UFOs and aliens in the road comedy genre. While visiting the US to attend the San Diego Comic Con, British science fiction enthusiasts and best friends Graeme Willy (Simon Pegg) and Clive Gollings (Nick Frost) decide to check out the UFO sites in the Southwest. Traveling on a remote desert highway at night, they witness a car crash and stop to help. To their utter disbelief, the driver turns out to be an alien, Paul. The duo decides to help Paul outwit the Secret Service agents in pursuit and return to his home planet. The film is created as a parody of other similar alien films, more specifically of ‘E.T.’ by Steven Spielberg. You can watch it here.
4. Project UFO (2025)
Created by Kasper Bajon, ‘Project UFO’ depicts the aftermath of an alleged UFO landing in communist Poland in the 1980s. While a television star Jan Polgar (Piotr Adamczyk) interviews people who claim to have witnessed extraterrestrial phenomena, other influential figures, like politicians, twist the narrative to fit their agenda. The resultant situation is a humorous chaos with everyone looking out for their own needs and using aliens as a crutch. You can watch ‘Project UFO’ here.
3. Top Secret UFO Projects: Declassified (2021-)
From creators Petr Vachler and Jan Stehlik, ‘Top Secret UFO Projects: Declassified’ presents the alleged cover-ups of extraterrestrial contact by the governments of the US and the USSR (presently Russia), dating back to World War II. From Project Blue Book to the development of high-tech aircraft such as Aurora, the documentary series digs deep for any sign of alien intelligence that may be used as irrefutable proof. The show maintains that alien civilizations are technologically more advanced than us and have already made contact with some world leaders. Catch ‘Top Secret UFO Projects: Declassified’ on Netflix.
2. The Man Who Loved UFOs (2024)
Originally titled ‘El hombre que amaba los platos voladores,’ Diego Lerman’s film ‘The Man Who Loved UFOs‘ tells the real-life story of Argentinian journalist José de Zer (Leonardo Sbaraglia) and his cameraman Chango (Sergio Prina). In the 1980s, José is approached by the president of the Cerro Mining Cooperative, who wishes him to turn the region of La Candelaria into a tourist hub. Once the center of the gold rush, La Candelaria is dying a slow death. However, instead of focusing on the grounded narrative, they come up with a plan to create a conspiracy theory about alien sightings and create an entire television show based on lies. The film is a study on how humans have fooled themselves when it comes to finding “proof” of extraterrestrial contact. Watch the film here.
1. The Manhattan Alien Abduction (2024)
Helmed by Vivienne Perry and Daniel Vernon, ‘The Manhattan Alien Abduction’ is a documentary miniseries about Manhattan resident Linda Napolitano’s claim that aliens abducted her from her apartment on November 30, 1989. Linda insists that a blue beam of light picked her up onto a reddish-orange spacecraft that went away toward the Brooklyn Bridge. Multiple unidentified individuals have come forward as witnesses to the alleged event. After it supposedly took place, Linda became a media sensation and gained much notoriety. The series paints a fairly realistic picture of the frenzy that surrounded Linda as she gained fame, leading to her suing Netflix for defamation. You can watch the show here.
Read More: 6 Best Alien Abduction Movies and Shows on Netflix (June 2025)
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