Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 12 hours ago

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Roger Ebert reviews Alien Nation, the 1988 science-fiction crime thriller directed by Graham Baker and starring James Caan, Mandy Patinkin, and Terence Stamp.

The film imagines a near-future Los Angeles where alien refugees, known as Newcomers, have settled on Earth and are trying to live alongside humans. The story follows a human detective and his alien partner as they investigate a murder case that exposes deeper tensions between species, cultures, and communities.

Part buddy-cop movie, part social allegory, Alien Nation blends police drama with science fiction to explore prejudice, immigration, assimilation, and fear of outsiders through a genre lens.