John Carpenter’s cult classic They Live (1988) mixes pulpy sci-fi thrills with sharp social satire. Roddy Piper stars as a drifter who discovers a pair of sunglasses that expose the world’s hidden truth: billboards and broadcasts pulsing with subliminal commands, and wealthy elites revealed as skull-faced aliens manipulating society. Part action flick, part political commentary, the film is remembered for its iconic imagery, its critique of consumerism and inequality, and an infamously long fight scene with co-star Keith David.
