Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Is it a stinker or a hit? I admit I watched this just to see Tom Cruise die over and over again!

The World's End (2013)

No one expected The World’s End to cap off the Cornetto Trilogy this way.

Grabbers (2012)

Sleepy Irish seaside town suffers an invasion of blood-sucking aliens. Aliens are mortally allergic to alcohol. Hilarity ensues.

This is one of those B-grade sci-fi horrors that practically write themselves and appeal to the Ed Wood school of filmmaking.

Watch for: an actual budget, decent acting, funny script in what could have been an Ed Wood film.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 28 November 2012.

Iron Sky (2012)

The director who gave us Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning returns with an actual movie budget to make a film about Space Nazis.

It's a spoof of a sub-genre of B-grade sci-fi flicks and also a wickedly sharp satire of American culture and politics in the vein of Idiocracy.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 22 August 2012.

Attack the Block (2011)

The gimmick in this alien invasion flick is the identity of Earth's heroes.

They're not patriotic soldiers, super scientists, or Hollywood Everymen. They're a bunch of problem youths and gangsters from the projects.

In terms of subversiveness, this feels like Spike Lee just made an alien invasion flick.

Read my full review on Fridae, first published on 28 September 2011.

Paul (2011)

A stranded alien enlists two sci-fi convention nerds to hitch a ride off this planet.

There is a huge amount of bawdy humour and alien anal probe jokes, which may or may not be up your alley.

The sidesplitting jokes come from the film's parody of alien invasion movies and the culture of sci-fi fandom.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 11 May 2011.

World invasion: Battle Los Angeles (2011)

This alien invasion flick feels like a console game and that's a very good thing.

Spurning the genre conventions of improbable heroism and impossible technology, the film goes for the tactical action/war flick via the Black Hawk Down and the SOCOM series of  third-person shooter games.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 17 March 2011.

Skyline (2010)

This dreadfully boring alien invasion flick is still worth watching - precisely because it's really hard to make an alien invasion flick boring.

What's more, it's a labour of love. The invasion scenario is meticulously plotted (and approved by military historians, no doubt), the specialist alien troop designs are fascinating.

The film just doesn't come together but if you're military geek, you might want to take the chance.

Read my full review at Fridae, first published on 1 December 2010.