They Live. 1988. USA. Directed by John Carpenter. Written by John Carpenter, adapted from the short story Eight O'Clock in the Morning by Ray Nelson. With Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster. In English. DCP. 94 min.
Consume. Obey. Conform. Submit. John Carpenter's dystopian They Live is a vigilant reminder of the perils of capitalism and a cautionary tale about systems built on oppression. Starring “Rowdy” Roddy Piper as Nada, a man who comes to Los Angeles seeking work after the plant where he worked closed down, only to be shown that there is a reason why the class divide is so prominent in the city after he puts on a pair of revealing glasses. Joining with a group of underground rebels, including reluctant new friend Frank (Keith David), Nada desperately tries to awaken the masses and put an end to the alien control that is dictating human lives. Perhaps the most frightening aspect of this classic film is that it’s not really those from another world we need to worry about; it’s our fellow humans establishing harmful institutional structures. Be one who can see.