They Live
Ranked 10 of 29 science fiction films by recommenders
People recommend it as an entertaining cult satire of consumerism and authority that shaped how they think about advertising and conformity. Critics find it uneven and the subliminal messages distracting.
People recommend it as an entertaining cult satire of consumerism and authority that shaped how they think about advertising and conformity. Critics find it uneven and the subliminal messages distracting.
14 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 12
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 86%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 12 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 6 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Sharp satire of consumerism
“the other half is a thoughtful commentary on the age of consumerism”
Comment from 12 May 2026 in “They Live (1988) inspired Adblocker” “They Live is such a good metaphor for so much of the modern world”
Comment from 12 May 2026 in “They Live (1988) inspired Adblocker” Entertaining cult classic, fun
“I love the film - blew my mind when I saw it on cable just after it came out.”
Comment from 12 May 2026 in “They Live (1988) inspired Adblocker” “"They live" was a cult classic, and great fun if you were a Roddy Piper fan.”
Comment from 12 May 2026 in “They Live (1988) inspired Adblocker” “it's just an eminently entertaining movie”
Comment from 12 May 2026 in “They Live (1988) inspired Adblocker” - Comment from 25 Jul 2026 in “Android May Soon Restrict On-Device ADB”
Lasting influence on worldview
“I think it was a healthy formative influence for me and primed me for rejecting fads / peer pressure, distrusting authority, etc.”
Comment from 12 May 2026 in “They Live (1988) inspired Adblocker” “I'd been inoculated by this movie”
Comment from 12 May 2026 in “They Live (1988) inspired Adblocker”
Other science fiction films people recommend
The four most recommended other science fiction films, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blade Runner | 54 | 11 | 83% | 10 | 34 yrs3 owners | Approved |
| Colossus: The Forbin Project | 35 | 2 | 95% | 9 | — | Approved |
| Jurassic Park (1993 film) | 32 | 7 | 82% | 8 | — | Approved |
| The Fifth Element | 24 | 3 | 89% | 5 | — | Approved |
| They LiveThis page | 12 | 2 | 86% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
12 of the 15 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“the timeless Carpenter's classic”
“They Live is such a good metaphor for so much of the modern world”
“it was a mediocre film, definitely not one of Carpenters best”
“the key messages are great and simple and the "chew bubblegem" scene is one very actionable scene”
“I love the film - blew my mind when I saw it on cable just after it came out.”
“the other half is a thoughtful commentary on the age of consumerism”
“completely unable to take it seriously due to the subliminal messages”
“"They live" was a cult classic, and great fun if you were a Roddy Piper fan.”
“it's just an eminently entertaining movie”
“this seems like a good addition to the reality based manuals out there”
“I'd been inoculated by this movie”
“I think it was a healthy formative influence for me and primed me for rejecting fads / peer pressure, distrusting authority, etc.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.