The Aliens (2016) User Reviews

Alien madness that's entertaining and amusing.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 17 July 2016]

Firstly I'll start off by saying anything that Michael Socha does is worth watching, very talented, be it being human, This is England or Silent Witness. Nice to see him play a different kind of character in this, almost the unwilling hero, behaving against type.

As for the show itself, it's wonderfully quirky, as a huge fan of District 9, it comes as no surprise that I love the premise of the show, but the realisation of it is rather good too. Sensible to have the Aliens looking like us, saves on effects, and adds for some interesting plots. Very well made considering the obscurity of its transmission.

They realised the divide between humans and Morks really well, that whole border control setup and fur drug use, so clever and original.

It's punchy, funny, leaving you wanting more, and personally I hope we get more. Special mention for Jim Howick, he was fantastic throughout.

Surprisingly hilarious.

[ewansuttie · 6/10 · 12 March 2016]

I first saw the ad for this a while back and I was really exited because it had some of my favorite actors in it. However I didn't watch it the on the air date. I looked at some other reviews a couple days after and they where mediocre. But as I was exited for it, I gave it a watch. I went into it feeling like it was going to be boring and not at all funny, but it really engaged me. Sure, the show is your typical channel four comedy filled with sex jokes, but it's actually enjoyable. It's sort of like misfits with it's humor, typical but hilarious. This show is really underrated and people should really give it a chance. Micheal Socha steels the show for sure, as he does in everything, without him the show would be dreadful. Sure it lacks a few things, and comes across as a bit cringey, including the whole hair smoking thing, but Aliens surprised me, it's a fun show with a pretty good cast.

A flawed gem

[robert-85923 · 7/10 · 23 April 2018]

Something of a flawed gem.

Like many British dramas it is rather gritty at times. Set in a dystopian Britain of the future divided between humans and an alien ghetto.

Some of the themes are a little trite. There are clear allusions to the immigrant crisis faced by Europe in general and the UK in particular. There is a feeling of both sides being imprisoned behind the wall, although I'm not sure that was entirely the intention of the director or the writers. There is comedy but it can be a bit hard to spot at times.

There are some good performances, although some of the talent is rather wasted.

On balance watchable if you've got a bit of spare time but it is understandable that they didn't want to make another series.

pretty good

[Headturner1 · 7/10 · 11 March 2021]

This came up as a trailer for me yesterday. I like socha and cole so I decided to watch it( almost didn't when I saw the average rating here, glad I didn't. My only compliant is the alien thing? There wasn't anything to really differentiate an alien from a human other than where they lived. They didn't possess any powers and they died like normal. Anyways other than that I quite liked it. I wasn't a big fan Of Micheala Cole's character but I thought it was a decent watch. I wouldn't put it in the Sci-fi category more like Drama, crime, drugs oh and the actress that I recently watched in Harlots( forgot her name) in it. I'd recommend to any one that likes UK thrillers, crime stuff since that's my genre.

too eargrated without seeing it yet, hetes whyly to tell- from South Africa District 9

[braquecubism · 6/10 · 2 February 2020]

If you saw District 9, excellent,, best ScyFy from So. Africa. How much do you b see from. Si Africa. This is a version. Often i like to see when another country makes a remake and see how they change it or emulate it. Somehow the original is do good. I am hesitant.

A critic said, very original. No. You fool. This is Ditrict 9. About humans inhumanity to outsiders.

Also they give away the reveal early in the synaposis. In the film, you have to wait to find out. Big error.

You have to accept this premise, Aliens (from another planet, look like District 9 large humanoid insects) and go with it Is this successful here, I don't know yet. Probably not.

It is on Hulu too.

E4 broadcasts a very confusing, dull, and not at all "witty" drama

[mhush · 2/10 · 9 March 2016]

Just a warning: This is my opinion. It needn't affect yours if you liked it.

From the first episode, (I'll update this review by the time I've watched a few more) this show is a tonal mess. I can see why E4 had to go with describing this as a drama rather than a comedy - hiding that in the episode description - as not a single line of dialogue drew a smile on my face. Throughout the whole thing, throwaway 'gags' were spat out, including how the aliens' hair could be used as a drug, and how aliens took dishwasher tablets to get their high. Maybe this would have been funny if the same 'joke' hadn't been used forty or so times (hyperbole) in one 45 minute run-time. I'm sure the lead (Michael Socha) is a great actor, but in this, he just shifts his eyebrows around, expects us to get meaning from his sarcasm and uninspired dialogue/story arc and to me, just didn't sell his character as likable to the audience. Stuff just happened to him, and even if it was acted well at points, it never made me sympathise with his character. Everything on the screen just happened, there was hardly a cohesive plot (e.g. the car salesman scene that went on for far too long with 'comically' useless thugs not recognising the lead wearing only glasses for disguise) and scenes just followed one another with no real consequence.

I know Jim Howick's work from Babylon and Horrible Histories and in both, he is far more amusing than the twelve or so lines of 'witty' dialogue he's given in the first episode of this show. His whole sub-plot is based around him making confusing advances on the lead character, which are some of the most excruciating dull, boring and flat scenes of television I've sat through in a while. As a show that is seemingly trying to convey a message about bigotry (although that seems to be both overplayed and not at all there), to have this strange sub-plot that basically returns to "oh look, this gay guy is hitting on this straight guy, isn't that funny and also creepy and funny, ha ha, laugh at this, you know it's funny." (<-- read this in a sarcastic tone) as a punchline - as that is the punchline, no other joke, nothing funny, not a single laugh or smirk, it just seemed very depressing that something like this can get such amazing reviews from newspapers when the show I watched was a real cluttered splatter of non-humorous scenes followed by badly written dialogue.

I really wish they wouldn't call this "2016's Humans" because that show was marvelous, creepy, funny at times and consistent in tone whereas this show is a mess. As I said earlier, I'll update this if anything about the show changes, but as so far, I really am not impressed.

Interesting premise with consistently strong episodes

[cchouina · 8/10 · 29 March 2016]

I don't usually write reviews but I felt I had to as this show is incredibly underrated here for completely irrelevant and silly reasons. Someone said it was created by the same people as Misfits? Irrelevant. The apartheid theme is too liberal for your political persuasion? Irrelevant. Too "urban" (seriously, what?) for you? Irrelevant. Not as good as a completely unrelated sci-fi movie with one similar plot point? Also irrelevant.

The story lines are compelling, the acting is very good, and the plot is very believable. I have never seen so many ridiculous complaints about a show (and no, I am not a "fanboi").

Science fiction isn't just about superheroes and superpowers, at it's core the genre is meant to portray difficult topics (like the immigration/migrant/refugee debate for instance here) in an atypical way that makes you think about them conceptually rather than exactly as they are. Does this show achieve that? Yes, absolutely. We can quibble about whether it does it effectively or not (I think it does) but it seems like some people reviewing this show can't wrap their heads around the fact that that's what sci-fi is often meant to do. It balances that with some humor and cringe comedy, which works here, nothing truly hilarious but decent enough.

All in all, it's a decent show with good writing, good acting that shows a lot of promise. It's mind boggling why it would deserve a 5.7 rating (not least of all because it's only 3 episodes in so far!).

Fanboi reviews are useless

[allenandginter · 3/10 · 15 March 2016]

As I read the other reviews it became CRYSTAL CLEAR these are Fanbois either of cast members or a crew member, trying to fluff the ratings and generate interest. Now, I was lulled into a complacent position by a tag-line...like a foolish lemming "FROM THE PEOPLE THAT BROUGHT YOU THE MISFITS!" Well yah...the PRODUCTION COMPANY ARE the people who brought you the TV show. But Howard Overman brought us the Misfits. THis is like saying " From the people who brought you BATMAN! THE DARK KNIGHT" It's ARTHUR ! Staring Russell Brand"

I mean, Yes Warner Brothers DID pay for Batman, but I ASSURE YOU just as Peter Baynham most certainly did NOT bring you the Darknight,Fintan Ryan did NOT bring you the Misfits.

So, to say a production company's tag-line is sufficient to toss out there to cover as credibility for a...poorly written British "Comedy"/Fantasy that has the ear marks of being about as interesting, as the story progresses, as Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos ..WHICH, I might add, has the most auspicious reputation of being the ONLY SHOW to be canceled AS IT WAS AIRING..

Now, I am an American I am REALLY fond of British TV and more so, Drama/Humor. The Misfits brought the damned ODDEST combination of writing and story line I have ever encountered. It was like an idiots view of how the fantastic Four got it's powers...and it was amazing.

So, I REALLY enjoyed the Mifits, well, nearly all of the episodes. To see this show lumped in with the same level of "off the wall:" genius and then seeing Episode 1 and 2, I feel like I have been misled and to a degree that will have me watching for this production companies "Claims" in the future with much more scrutiny.

A show is only as good as it's writer. A writer's work is only as good as it's actors. if you have both of those, you can still make a hit with the worst production company on the planet....which the Misfits prove, in relation to the CLAIMS directed towards The Aliens

If you came under the same pretense as I did ,do not be surprised when you have that WTF stance in your mind as to try and bridge similarities between the 1 shows...because you cannot.

I think the show needs an overhaul on the written end ASAP or it will not make it past mid season. I think the "characteristic" parts of the show are a true mark of how poor the writing is...Pardon me while I smoke some hair and push out me 30hz note to see aliens crapping their pants....sheer stupidity I will give it to episode 3, then I may as well watch my dog chase his tail as it has a better direction and plot than this show

Don't need Google to understand the Sci-fi

[reginamlee · 8/10 · 11 September 2016]

Obviously it's not Interstellar. But it is a good comedy drama dealing with issues that are just as relevant today as when V premiered or if you're a '90s kid that other short lived show about aliens coming to the US which I liked as well. It's funny relevant and not filled with deep mind blowing time travel explanations that you have to Google. For example the drug of choice is alien hair that they smoke like marijuana. The main guy is a Jake Gyllenhaal look alike but more likable lol. I just started watching on Hulu 3 episodes in. They only have 5 so I don't think I'm far behind. I hope it isn't canceled. Im happy I found a new funny smart entertaining series to watch.

Terrible

[jessicaewers · 1/10 · 22 March 2016]

If you have even an ounce of intelligence, don't bother with this one, if you love watching mindless dribble, have fun with it.

The dialogue is terrible, now I know that writing a good dialogue is very difficult but almost the entirety of the first episode is cheesy, spoon-feeding rubbish, I felt embarrassed for the writer as I watched it.

The acting isn't the worst I have seen, but with such a bad script, I would doubt if even the best Hollywood actors out there could do much better.

The story is clearly a direct rip-off from District 9, which in itself is forgivable, as some of the best stories out there have been inspired by others preceding it, but the whole 'falling in love with an alien and finding out your one of them' thing is so clique'd I wanted to be sick.

To me, the whole thing feels like a car crash, an attempt by a young (or inexperienced) writer to copy an already successful film, and going way over his head with it. Maybe he should write a few episodes of Hollyoaks before attempting something new.

An hour of my life I won't be getting back

unfix-able

[dangelnut · 2/10 · 13 April 2016]

Poorly done with little effort, bad plot with unimaginative writing the idea had potential but seriously aliens should be wow. 2 episodes in i nearly died of boredom. i was just cringing on the shocking dialogue so unrealistic it like a teenager wrote it. Yet again another alien TV show that failed in expectations.

This series seemed to drag out situations for no other reason then to try and build suspense and deliver a very bad attempt at humor at least i hope it was humor and the dramatic scenes leave you scratching your head in this actually has a script or just improv. In my opinion not a movie for any intellectual or even just to pass the time nothing about this grabbed my attention was just sad hopefully better for someone else.

Funny, Quirky, & I Loved It

[bethgmccrea · 9/10 · 26 August 2019]

I'm sick of big budget shows which look great, but deliver nothing. This show is an interesting premise riffing off the current "alien" & border patrol crisis. I really enjoyed it. It's funny & quirkey. I don't understand the haters.

Classic investigation story B.S. show with no aliens needed

[AliensReservoir · 1/10 · 11 March 2016]

there is no need of aliens theme, anyways they are human 1

No aliens technology at all, so if you are searching for special effect, you're watching the wrong movie, no effect at all!

They live in a ghetto ... seriously, they are supposed to crossed the galaxy, and they are just a band of theft and drug dealer ?? again no aliens needed.

So at the end it's just a common police investigation TV show series, where the aliens are ... not aliens and do not have any "alien" technology and live in a ghetto

Hummmm ... that's all!

It works for me?

[abih-40449 · 9/10 · 19 September 2020]

I was drawn to this mini-series due to past performances by Michaela Coel in Chewing Gum and Black Earth Rising. I didn't know what to expect as far as the story line itself and I has a hard time understanding what was being said eary on in the first episode but once I became focus on the story did not disappoint I found it uniquely intriguing in fact engrossing. Michaela Coel once again pulls its off the women does have range and the supporting case was right on point. If your patient this series is well worth the watch and more. A bit of humor in spots but with a series nature which keeps you alert and on your toes. I highly recommend this movie at least it worked for me.

Oh Please

[blacksquareit · 1/10 · 12 April 2016]

stupid plot... Aliens come to earth, they're segregated from us and kept in Zones... strong chance they can mate with humans and have little hybrid babies ...oh yes... there's a black market trade selling their hair ...which is a highly addictive and trendy drug that humans smoke....

The scene that just threw me off was when they're shaving this one chap so they can get his hair and sell it, but the chap is bald... think about it...

really did not get my attention. don't know if I can sit through a whole season of watching people smoke pubes... There's much better on the telly

Tedious, tendentious, didactic, and preachy

[dingo865 · 2/10 · 11 May 2016]

No matter where you stand on the issue of immigrants/refugees, this series will give you stomach cramps from the get-go. Admittedly, the acting is decent, and some of the characters are somewhat interesting, but by and large watching this show is like having to sit through hours of a banal party meeting where the minutes were prepared by childlike demagogues who lack the slightest artistic merit or sensibility.

The metaphors/allegories are so obvious, forced, and in-your-face that they choke the living daylight out of what otherwise would be a valid message. Since there is literally no distinguishable difference shown between humans and aliens (other than a couple of gimmicky plot devices), most of the time I found myself struggling to figure out who is an alien and who isn't, and got frequently confused about what is happening on screen, and why. Not to mention the seemingly endless series of inane jokes made at the expense of the homosexual character, who comes across as the cheapest of stereotypes...

If you want the same message in an infinitely better and more refined wrapping, try 'District 9', any of the old 'Alien Nation' entries (whether they be from the TV series or its follow-up feature-length installments), the original 'V' TV miniseries, or any of the two dozen or so other films and shows that have explored the mechanics and insanity of discrimination and racism much better, and with a truckload more nuance, than this tripe.

I understand the importance of the film's message, but if this is the best you can put forth to try to convince people about it, something is seriously wrong with your attitude towards both your cause and your audience. People who are not on board with it already, will find this series annoying, pretentious, and dogmatic; and people who are already on its side will find it insulting to both their intelligence and to their cause.

While watching it, I could not help but see the parallels between 'The Aliens' and the cheapest, most dogmatic, most amateurish movies in what I would call (for lack of a better term) the 'evangelical Christian' genre, even though they are supposed to represent the exact opposites on the political scale. I get equally irritated by 'Left Behind' (ANY of its installments) and by 'The Aliens' - except the latter enjoyed a much bigger budget, much better (professional) actors, and much more polished film-making expertise, so it has no excuse for turning all that into such a terrible drag.

Brilliant!

[ktd7 · 10/10 · 15 July 2019]

This show tackles a lot of issues, but is infused with humor, and absurdity, while examining prejudice and drug abuse. I was so pleasantly surprised after reading the premise at the quality of this show. It doesn't need lots of special effects. It shines on its own!

Being a bag of shite held it back I think...

[stuart_davies · 1/10 · 17 April 2016]

Unfortunately IMDb does not have a negative scaling for reviews especially one capable of indicating the ineptitude of this series, perhaps with the scale increased by an order of magnitude. If it's aimed at being comedic, it simply isn't in any way... a situation comedy consisting entirely of situation. Aliens indistinguishable from humans to keep production costs below the category of Dr Who. The story is ludicrous and the premise for it idiotic and without credibility. Aliens crash land in the UK, whose body hair is a narcotic, and they can cross breed with humans and so are instantly put into compounds were they are oppressed? Aliens capable of interstellar travel wouldn't crash land. They wouldn't be able to cross breed due to basic genetic differences. Their technology and in particularly their weaponry would be years ahead of humanity's and they wouldn't be idiots meaning... blah, blah, de-blah... you get the drift. But the bottom line hear is that if a formula is applied at all, it's simple addition of crap story, paltry production and a target audience of degenerate nincompoops in track suits. I was groaning at its moronic scripts within 30 minutes and turned it off. I'm shocked that the series wasn't canceled during editing as it should have been. Is this the depths to which Channel 4 have sunk?

Some people...

[Shelzakia · 10/10 · 7 January 2018]

Are stuck in a weird mental state. The Aliens was a great show, sad that no one wanted to continue it. Idiots abound. In every country. In every strata of life.

Couldn't rate it a zero

[ttrap1 · 1/10 · 17 December 2017]

This show is just awful. The lead character is in no way written to be a comedy performance... think of the word "pathetic" personality instead. The female lead, well I'm sorry but this just has to be said, Helen of Troy launched a thousand ships... Lilyhot of Troy would sink a million d*icks. I'm afraid alien female Lilyhot is just totally LilyNOT. I actually began putting my hands over my eyes during her scenes and just cannot conceive of any male lead falling for her.

So.... the show has no visual appeal, the comedy is pathetic -- not funny and the story line is a flop rendition of a now worn out concept rip-off. Don't waste your hour, this is a zero rate show and the worst British production I have yet to ever see.

Interesting idea, very badly done

[rachel_h_watson · 2/10 · 24 October 2020]

Some of the actors were playing it for laughs, some of them were playing it serious. The main actor was flip-flopping between the two... None Of the characters were consistent. Fully awful. Watched one episode and no more.

Great show, with subtlety lost on some.

[gavinpwebb · 10/10 · 27 December 2020]

I started watching this after 'Humans', which was excellent. Aliens has a themic connection in that it is sci fi that deals with 'others' who are different to us and shows how we deal with them. The humour is fairly simple, sometimes almost slapstick, sometimes making one cringe. I found the characters quite quickly became likeable, or in the case of Fabien, fun to hate. I think it is a tragedy the series was not continued, because there were so many clues to what I think would have been a massive reveal, changing the premise of the program. The 'aliens' had no recollection of life before they 'landed'. They were identical to humans apart from two chemical differences, their hair and the affect cleaning tablets had on them. I think they weren't alien at all, but instead a population subjected to some kind of chemical accident which the government covered up. Just my guess, but it would change the show from the simple aliens on earth concept that it appears to be.

Low Budget held it back I think

[troy-graham-689-377650 · 9/10 · 13 April 2016]

Great entertaining show. About 50/50 on predicting what comes next usually. Characters are good. Actors for the most part are alright. Decent idea, this is where the budget I think comes into play but also limits the entire story if there were any CG components to the aliens. Essentially aliens are segregated from the populous by a wall. They sell their Hair as drugs for the Humans yet power ball dish-washing tablets are their drug.

Will be good to see if this show continues on as I think it has a lot of potential for growth and complexity. Particularly with certain groups that wish to "set things right" for Troy (the aliens sectioned off area). Is there a reason they called it Troy? Does that indicate a possible plot in the future?

dreadful

[styluspaint · 1/10 · 28 April 2016]

I couldn't stomach this past the first few minutes. It's just not right to produce such biased TV, using license payer's money towards something that blatantly disregards many viewers' preferences politically. A very clearly pushed agenda shown in this series, to the point of being laughable; if people have to push an agenda this hard, there's got to be something wrong with it. I go to the TV to switch off, not to have politics forced at me, especially politics that are against my own preference.

I'd noticed it because Michael Socha was in it, and I'd enjoyed watching him in the Alice in Wonderland series. What a shame he was in this; I'd not have thought he was that desperate for work, tbh, and no actor or actress is taking good advice when they come down hard in one political camp.

Quirky, zany, alien fun.......

[s3276169 · 8/10 · 9 March 2016]

The Aliens, is one of those earthy, unabashed, human drama's the UK does so well.

The initial premise is a little reminiscent of District 9. The aliens who arrive on earth as refugees, live in a segregated zone. That said, in this instance, the otherworldly refugees are, in most respects, more human than not. There are some differences, which offer the opportunity for some classic, rather ribald, Brit humour. Alien pacifying sound grenades, for example, that can be rigged to make the aliens run to the toilet. Or alien body hair, that can be shaved off and sold as a smokable narcotic.

The acting is good too, with the well cast Michael Socha, who some might remember from the series Being Human, in the lead role. Socha's character's rather sad sack, doe eyed, hopelessly unaware misfit, who works as an alien border guard, is a brilliant comedic foil, that softens some of the series more hard edged moments.

The Aliens is, if episode one is anything to go by, off to a good start. I look forward to seeing where this rather zany, quirky series, goes next. Eight out of ten from me.