They Live (1988)

They Live (1988)

1988 R 94 Minutes

Action | Horror | Science Fiction | Thriller

Nada, a down-on-his-luck construction worker, discovers a pair of special sunglasses. Wearing them, he is able to see the world as it really is: people being bombarded by media and government with...

Overall Rating

8 / 10
Verdict: Good

User Review

  • BarneyNuttall

    BarneyNuttall

    7 / 10
    Popping visuals, iconic one-liners and a very long street brawl are the defining traits of the film. When Nada, a homeless drifter, stumbles upon some strange sunglasses, he finds that the entire capitalist society he's lived in is a lie.

    There's a conflict of interest at the heart of this film. On the one hand you have the iconic social commentary. The creatures look like rotting corpses and the OBEY posters have become a staple of iconography. Yet, we also have an action movie, headed by WWE star Roddy Piper who sprays bullets while unleashing a salvo of one-liners. I love both of these movies but the moments where they clash are undeniably jarring. But it's worth it for that one line. "I came here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum."