The ten most notable UFO movies of 2011

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

UPDATED: 30 December 2011

Top row, left to right: Attack the Block, Paul, Mars Needs Moms, Thor, Super 8. Bottom row, left to right: Battle: Los Angeles, I Am Number Four, Cowboys and Aliens, Transformers 3, Apollo 18.

As we say goodbye to 2011 I thought it only appropriate that I put together a list of what, in my opinion, have been the best, worst, and most interesting UFO movies of the year. Please do feel free to compile your own lists in the comments section below.

For those new to Silver Screen Saucers, I define a "UFO movie" as:

Any movie that taps directly into any aspect of UFO mythology or notably draws inspiration from UFOlogical discourse, incorporating into its plot references to frequently debated UFOlogical phenomena (abductions, crop circles, etc.), events (Roswell, for example) and locales (such as Area 51), and/or specialised UFOlogical terminology (‘Close Encounter’, ‘missing time’, ‘Blue Book’, ‘Moon Dust’, ‘Majestic’, etc).

A UFO movie need not be about UFOs, per se, nor feature traditional UFOlogical iconography (such as flying saucers or little ‘Grey’ aliens with big black eyes), but will nevertheless often devote a respectable amount of its running time to the dramatisation of imagined human/alien interactions, usually – though not always – in the context of a ‘first contact’ scenario in which the extraterrestrials assume the role of visitor/invader. In other words, the UFO movie frequently is concerned with the possibilities inherent from a human perspective in earthly encounters with extraterrestrials.

Silver Screen Saucers' ten most notable UFO movies of 2011

Ranked according to quality (with star ratings out of five)

Ranked according to level of UFOlogical interest/significance

INVADING CINEMAS NEXT YEAR...

Five high-profile UFO movies due for release in 2012

Information and discussion about all of the above movies is accessible directly through the Silver Screen Saucers' search bar function at the top right of the page. For a comprehensive list of UFO movies due for release between 2012 and 2014, simply scroll down the Silver Screen Saucers sidebar.