They Live is More Relevant Today than Ever
August 1, 2025
Uncover the relevance of They Live today. Learn how its themes of mind control and consumerism resonate with contemporary America.
Uncover the relevance of They Live today. Learn how its themes of mind control and consumerism resonate with contemporary America.
John Carpenter’s 1988 Sci-Fi Alien Horror movie They Live starring Rowdy Roddy Piper, Keith David, and Meg Foster has become a cult favorite. Piper plays an unnamed drifter who discovers through special sunglasses that the ruling class are aliens concealing their appearance and manipulating people to spend money, breed, and accept the status quo with subliminal messages in mass media — sound familiar? Like other films from Carpenter (such as Halloween and Escape from New York), They Live enjoyed a cult following and eventually became recognized as a very underrated movie. The film had a lasting impact on street art (particularly that of Shepard Fairey). These bright, bold graphic They Live t-shirts captures the kitsch of the original movie.