Aliens, monsters, mad scientists, evil spirits -- they all love to take over or replicate Human bodies. The replacements then can go do very human things: wear Spanx, take selfies, find the perfect colored notebook at an office supply superstore. Movies on this list are about those that walk among us, largely unnoticed except by a select few. I've skipped on head-spinning possessions that don't really fool anyone.
In no particular order, here are my top ten horror movies with replaced people.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
andInvasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Heavy hitters of the replaced humans category, I won't be pinned down to pick a favorite between these two. The original black and white 1956 version staring Kevin McCarthy nails the paranoia of Cold War America, but the 70s remake has a dog with a human head, a major score in my book. Plus, you get Donald Sutherland AND Leonard Nimoy, Jeff Goldblum and Brooke Adams.The Thing (1982)
Following the paranoia generated by pod-based Body Snatchers is the dead-on human replication of the alien force in John Carpenter's The Thing -- that is, when they aren't going all crazy psycho Cirque du Soleil contortionist on everyone. Unlike the emotionless demeanor of the pod-compromised folks, the alien replications of The Thing are virtually impossible to tell from the real deal, which ramps up the fear, particularly when everyone is trapped in closed quarters in the frozen Arctic. While I liked the prequel with the same name, The Thing (2011), especially it's attention to detail in recreating the research station from the first movie, I haven't officially added it to the list. The reason is because the aliens don't spend much time pretending to be humans, going right to disgusting hybrid creatures of oddly assembled body parts. The original 1951 The Thing, also known at The Thing from Another World, while an awesome movie, doesn't use the human replication story at all.
It Came from Outer Space (1953)
The alien controlling its human hosts in black and white sci-fi is a softer, kinder creature, even if the Professor from Gilligan's Island (that is, actor Russell Johnson playing George) doesn't think so. The story for this great old movie was written by the amazing sci-fi author Ray Bradbury.
Invaders from Mars (1953) and Invaders from Mars (1986)
The 1953 version was the first movie to show an alien spaceship in color. This movie features a plucky kid, an Americanized version of the kind of kid you might find in a Gamera movie. While I really, really enjoy this flick, I still get frustrated when nobody believes David when he says that dad is acting really, really weird. The kid knows it isn't dad, but some 33 years later, people still won't listen. The remake was directed by Tobe Hooper of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist fame.
The Stepford Wives (1975)
Horror as social commentary, this creepy 70s flick featured a sultry Katherine Ross realizing the housewives of Stepford all seem a bit too happy and willing to please .. almost as if THEY WERE ROBOTS. Instead of aliens or demons, the evil culprits are ... husbands. An entertaining remake came out in 2004, but it is full fledged dark comedy rather than thriller.
They Live (1988)
I'd lose horror cred if I didn't add this aliens-disguised-as-humans classic to the list. Starring pro wrestler Roddy Piper (the same Roddy Piper of Hell Comes to Frogtown fame), a pair of sunglasses allows you to see the skeletal alien faces walking among us, something like the glasses from 13 Ghosts. This is another John Carpenter must-see movie.The World's End (2013)
A horror/sci-fi/comedy featuring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, you might have a difficult time spotting these human replicants, unless you knock off a head or pull a limb out. A boozy bit of body snatcher drama, this movie is full of great lines. Tell me you can't watch this one again. If you do, I won't believe you.
They Look Like People (2015)
While the viewer won't be sure if evil things are actually posing as people or if they are the creation of mental illness, lead character Wyatt believes they are real, and that makes for an engaging story. This low budget indie production written, directed, produced and edited by Perry Blackshear is not a typical horror movie, but it's well worth a watch, consistently staying fresh, and human. At the time of compiling this post, They Look Like People was streaming on Shudder.
