By Simon Steel, Senior Director of Education and STEM Programs

10 Movies for Kids

Big Hero 6 (2014)

Rated: PG

High schooler Hiro and a giant inflatable healthcare robot (what we all need at the moment) team up with friends to become high tech crime fighters.

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The Last Starfighter (1984)

Rated: PG

Alex thought it was just a video game, but it was a recruitment tool for an endangered alien race looking for the best pilots in the galaxy.

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ET: The Extraterrestrial (1982)

Rated: PG

The classic tale of an alien left behind on planet Earth. Phone home? These days it would be “Zoom home.” And yes, we realize this violates the no blockbuster rule but we couldn’t leave it out!

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Men in Black (1997)

Rated: PG-13

True inside story of life at the SETI Institute.

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Space Jam (1996)

Rated: PG

Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan team up to play for their freedom against an evil (or at least, not very nice) alien. All the Looney Tunes and NBA stars of the day make an appearance.

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Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)

Rated: PG

Jumanji in space as two brothers and an astronaut are hurled through the galaxy by a magical board game.

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WALL• E (2008)

Rated: G

The exciting tale of a garbage robot in the distant future who sets out to save humanity. Not rubbish.

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The Iron Giant (1999)

Rated: PG

A boy befriends a giant alien robot in Cold War era Maine. How do you hide a 50ft metal man with the power to destroy, or save, humanity? Based on the classic tale by Ted Hughes.

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Treasure Planet (2002)

Rated: PG

Pirates in outer space where the deck hands are robots and the doctor an astrophysicist with the best line in SF history: “Dang it, Jim. I'm an astronomer, not a doctor! I mean, I am a doctor, but I'm not that kind of doctor. I have a doctorate, it's not the same thing. You can't help people with a doctorate. You just sit there and you're useless!”

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Attack the Block (2011)

Rated R for creature violence, drug content, and strong language.

A street gang defend their community against an alien invasion (teen movie – some scary bits with bad language)

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10 Movies for Adults

Annihilation (2018)

Rated: R

A biologist leads a team into a quarantined zone where the laws of nature have changed. A fascinating psychological study of facing a totally alien world with a couple of powerful female leads.

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The Dish (2000)

Rated: PG-13

The Parkes radio telescope in Australia (used for SETI searches and the discovery of fast radio bursts) plays a role in televising the Apollo 11 moon landing.

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Sunshine (2007)

Rated: R

A mission to reignite the dying Sun and save all life on Earth. The first mission mysteriously disappeared, but aboard the second spacecraft the mood is optimistic. What could go wrong?

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District 9 (2011)

Rated: R

In an alien refugee ghetto, a government agent gets caught in the middle of a human-alien conspiracy. An amazing statement on race, politics and humanity.

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Ex Machina (2014)

Rated: R

A computer programmer is chosen to perform the Turing test on his boss’ android creation. Think you’re smarter than the machines? In this game of Turing tests, who is playing who?

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Monsters (2010)

Rated: R

After an alien invasion, a journalist is hired to escort an American tourist out of contaminated Mexico. The scary aliens are always just around the corner. Or are they? And who are the real monsters?

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Contact (1997)

Rated: PG

A technosignature contains the blueprints to build a mysterious machine. Carl Sagan’s story of first contact based (at least in the first half) on real places and people, including the SETI Institute’s own Jill Tarter.

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Arrival (2016)

Rated: PG-13

When alien spacecraft descent to Earth, a linguist is chosen to lead an attempt at communication. Making contact is one thing; communicating with an alien civilization is another level altogether.

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Solaris (2002)

Rated: PG-13

Psychologist Chris Kelvin is sent to a space station orbiting a sentient planet. Pushing the boundaries of what defines life and intelligence, it also gets to the very heart of human emotion.

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Moon (2009)

Rated: R

An astronaut coming to the end of a lone three-year assignment on the Moon starts to realize things aren’t quite right, with the mission, or with himself. The ultimate self-isolation movie addresses the issues of existence and individual rights.

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