Review of They Live (1988) by Wayne K — 13 Mar 2018
One of the most popular movies from the Cult Director's Cult Director, John Carpenter, They Live is a bravely excessive satire on the class system and rampant consumerism. Roddy Piper, while not a fantastic actor, is clearly having a blast in the starring role, reeling off great lines and partaking in a legendary 5-minute alley fight with Keith David.
The writing is often pretty bland but the imagery more than makes up for it, with the real world contrasting brilliantly with the artificial one, right down to the muted colour palate of the former, and the cheap looking alien costumes help to reinforce the theme of corruption.
It flags in the second half when it devolves into a pretty standard shoot 'em-up, with the satirical message all but forgotten about, but overall it's a thoroughly enjoyable flick, with charismatic performances, funny one-liners and a scathing critique of the world we inhabit.
This review of They Live (1988) was written by Wayne K on 13 Mar 2018.
They Live has generally received positive reviews.
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