Movies Like Men In Black That Sci-Fi Fans Need To Watch

The 1997 hit, "Men in Black," (aka "MIB") stars Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as agents of the top secret title organization, which oversees extraterrestrial life forms living on Earth and makes sure their presence stays hidden from ordinary humans. Tommy Lee Jones is Agent K, a weathered MIB agent who takes on a new partner, Agent J (Will Smith), who loves breaking rules, thinking outside the box, and generally being cool. When the two of them uncover a plot to start an interplanetary war, they decide to stop it from happening and make sure that humanity is none the wiser.

"Addams Family" helmer Barry Sonnenfeld directed this first installment of the MIB franchise and Steven Spielberg produced, so "Men in Black" made a splash with its visual effects, set pieces and comedic bits. After all, who could forget Frank, the talking pug? The film was a hit as Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones proved to be the odd couple that no one knew they needed. "Men in Black" has become a sci-fi favorite, as it has all the elements audiences love: aliens, mutant creatures, and worldwide conspiracies all wrapped up in a fun and funny sci-fi buddy flick. If you love any or all of these things, check out these other sci-fi films that will be sure to hit that "Men in Black" spot (although we can't guarantee any of them will have as catchy a theme song as the MIB).

"The Fifth Element" has become a cult favorite — if not an outright classic — since its 1997 release. Directed and co-written by Luc Besson ("Leon: The Professional"), this English-language French film follows Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), a seen-it-all 23rd-century cab driver who suddenly becomes responsible for the fate of the world after a chance encounter with Leeloo, a mysterious humanoid woman played by Milla Jovovich. Similarly to "Men in Black," "The Fifth Element" makes use of humor in wild situations: Bruce Willis plays the typical deadpan and reluctant "Straight Man," trying to stay sane and calm in this chaotic world of aliens and wacky characters, which includes Chris Tucker's Ruby Rhod and Gary Oldman's evil Zorg.

Luc Besson came up with the story for "The Fifth Element" as a teenager and by the time of its release, he'd made a name for himself as one of Europe's top directors with highly stylized films such as "Leon: The Professional" and "La Femme Nikita." The tackling of a fundamental existential question — is humanity worth saving? — combined with its excellent cast sets "The Fifth Element" apart as a sci-fi film that can be revisited over and over again.

Neill Blomkamp's feature film debut brings audiences into "District 9," an internment camp in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 1982, an alien spaceship suddenly appears over Johannesburg. The ship is filled with sick insectoid aliens, who are sent to District 9, where they're forced to live in squalid conditions. Tensions rise as humans resent the presence of the aliens and 20 years after their arrival, the aliens are forced to relocate to a new camp. The film follows Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), a bureaucrat sent to District 9 to deal with this relocation. He starts turning into an alien after an accident and becomes embroiled in the life of Christopher Johnson, an alien who's trying to get back home.

Based on Blomkamp's short film, "Alive in Joburg," as well as on the history of apartheid in South Africa, "District 9" tackles themes of xenophobia, racism, and identity under the guise of sci-fi and action. The aliens are derisively called "prawns" and are seen as "leeching" off humans, which could situate the film in any number of places or with any number of communities in the real world. "District 9" was a critical success — it currently holds a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes — and was nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Although it's a bit more serious than "Men in Black," the film will work for anyone looking for an exciting sci-fi action flick that stands out in the genre.

Director Stefon Bristol brings reality into fantasy with his 2019 debut, "See You Yesterday." The film, produced by Spike Lee, follows CJ (Eden Duncan-Smith), a teenage science prodigy, and her best friend, Sebastian (Dante Crichlow), who are experimenting with time travel. When CJ's older brother, Calvin (Astro), gets murdered by the police — who mistake his phone for a weapon — she and Sebastian decide to go back in time to save her brother's life. She just has to make sure not to affect the future too much with whatever she does in the past.

Like some of the best and most powerful sci-fi, "See You Yesterday" looks at the present through a lens of the future. It uses the freedom of sci-fi to explore real, emotional issues such as racism and police brutality, as CJ has to deal with the grief of her brother's senseless death and the system that allowed and caused it. "See You Yesterday" is unique with its blending of genres in it's a socially relevant sci-fi film starring a female protagonist of color, so anyone looking for something fresh and exciting can jump into the time loop with CJ.

Director Bong Joon-Ho's South Korean creature feature, "The Host," is as much about a mutant monster living in Seoul's Han River as it is about a dysfunctional family dealing with its own monsters within. An American military base dumps formaldehyde into the Han River, which leads to the creation of a giant monster. The monster emerges from the river one day and starts snatching up people to eat, including the daughter of Park Gang-du (Song Kang-ho). Park Gang-du is a clumsy, lazy snack bar owner, who enlists the help of his family to track down this creature and find his daughter.

"The Host" is one of several collaborations between Bong Joon-Ho and Song Kang-ho, who would later work together on the critically-acclaimed, Oscar-winning "Parasite." "The Host" transforms a seemingly straightforward genre — the creature feature — into a hybrid of horror and melodrama. Is the monster the mutated river creature or in the family itself? "The Host" takes a comedic approach to dealing with something fantastic and terrifying, so if you're looking for something as fun and exciting as "Men in Black," dive into "The Host."

Robert Wise's 1956 alien contact film, "The Day the Earth Stood Still," has become a sci-fi classic and a staple for anyone who loves (or fears) aliens. A UFO lands in Washington DC, and Klaatu (Michael Rennie), a humanoid, emerges from the spaceship with Gort (Lock Martin), a powerful and dangerous robot. Klaatu is here to give humans a message, but before he can do so, he's attacked by the military. Klaatu decides to spend some time with humans to understand them and their need for violence before delivering the message. He's taken in by a family who show him what it means to be human, but will that be enough to save Earth?

While "The Day the Earth Stood Still" is a product of its time as it speaks directly to the anxiety of the nuclear arms race, its questions of what it means to be human and why we act the way we do remain relevant today. Director Robert Wise, later known for classic musicals like "West Side Story" and "The Sound of Music," promotes peace and unity with the film's message that if you keep threatening nuclear war, you will be destroyed by seven-foot-tall robots. Audiences heard it loud and clear and "The Day the Earth Stood Still" has been a beloved classic for decades now.

Steven Spielberg's 2005 feature, "War of the Worlds," brings one of the most (in)famous sci-fi books to the big screen for the second time, following the 1953 film produced by George Pal. H.G. Wells' 1898 novel of the same name is about a Martian invasion of Earth as told through the eyes of an unnamed narrator. Orson Welles dramatized the book for a radio program in 1938, acting out fictional news bulletins about the Martian invasion, which sounded so real that they caused a minor panic as some people actually thought aliens had invaded Earth.

Steven Spielberg takes "War of the Worlds" to a different place. Tom Cruise stars as Ray Ferrier and Dakota Fanning as his daughter, Rachel. Ray is divorced and lives separately from his kids, but when aliens invade and attack the earth, he does everything in his power to save his family. "War of the Worlds" is Cruise and Spielberg's second sci-fi collaboration after "Minority Report" and shows that sci-fi is a genre in which they both thrive. While Wells' original book was seen as a commentary on British imperialism, Spielberg has noted how 9/11 influenced his telling of this story about the fear of the "other," which descended upon the American psyche suddenly and created a mob-like mentality.

Director Paul Verhoeven returned to sci-fi after several years away with 1997's "Starship Troopers," an adaptation of author Robert A. Heinlein's book of the same name (although the director himself admits he didn't read the book). The film stars Casper Van Dien as Johnny Rico, a young man in the 23rd century who enlists in the military as a way of getting access to basic human rights denied to civilians. While colonizing new planets, humans have discovered an alien race of arachnids, nicknamed "Bugs," which turn hostile when confronted with violent human aggression (go figure). Johnny embarks on a series of missions with his military unit as they combat the Bugs and try to destroy them (even though the humans are on this species' planet).

"Starship Troopers" was derided by critics at the time for being a film of mindless violence, but some have argued that critics missed the point of its satirical look at militarism, imperialism and a defensive mentality. The film has been revisited with a new perspective and even came in at #20 on Slant magazine's list of the 100 best films of the '90s. Verhoeven had wowed audiences with 1987's "Robocop," a darkly satiric look at identity, corporate greed and the militarization of the police, and brings that same darkness to this film thanks to a script by Edward Neumeier, who also wrote "Robocop." Fans of "Men in Black" will find that "Starship Troopers" also makes use of sci-fi action tropes to comment on the colonialism that so often is at the heart of human versus alien sci-fi stories.