5 Sci-Fi Movie Aliens To Know if You Love Project Hail Mary’s Rocky

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Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s Project Hail Mary succeeds because of several key elements. It’s a well-paced adaptation of the book, retaining all the important parts, and features a charming performance by Ryan Gosling. The visual effects are incredible, the screenplay by Drew Goddard is genuinely touching, and the movie is enjoyable for viewers of all ages – making it a great family outing. A major reason for its appeal is Rocky, the adorable five-legged alien who communicates through musical sounds.

What makes the movie Hail Mary so heartwarming is the bond between Ryan Gosling’s character, Dr. Ryland Grace, and Rocky, the alien. However, the idea of humans connecting with aliens isn’t new. This film showcases that connection well, but many others have explored it before. We’re focusing on stories with a particular type of alien – not the friendly kinds seen in movies like Arrival and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, though those films are also worth mentioning.

5) E.T.

Let’s start with the obvious: no list of movies about connections between humans and other beings would be complete without mentioning E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. It’s widely considered the best example of its kind.

E.T. is a truly special film – a rare example of everything coming together perfectly. The actors, even those who weren’t major stars later on, were perfectly cast. Being made in the 1980s meant they created E.T. using practical effects, which gave him – and the movie – a genuine, heartfelt quality that CGI might have taken away. Like Project Hail Mary, it’s a film that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It’s a must-see for every child, but be warned: the scene where E.T. is dying near the river is incredibly emotional and will likely make you cry.

Stream E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on The Roku Channel.

4) Christopher Johnson

Similar to the partnership between Rocky and Dr. Grace, the characters Wikus van de Merwe and Christopher Johnson in District 9 find themselves working together. They’re both battling the MNU, a powerful defense company that’s forcing the alien Prawns into a terrible internment camp.

Initially, Wikus is a willing participant in a corrupt system. As the son-in-law of a company executive, he leads the effort to move aliens to a new location. However, an accidental exposure to alien fuel begins transforming him into one of the creatures his company exploits. While he first seeks a way to reverse the changes, Wikus soon realizes his priority is protecting a young alien named Christopher, and they must rely on each other for survival, using advanced alien technology as their defense.

Stream District 9 on Netflix.

3) Frank the Pug

Many of the aliens featured here are friendly and good-natured. Frank the Pug from Men in Black is definitely on the smaller side, but he makes up for it with a surprisingly beautiful singing voice.

Frank is technically an alien from the planet Remoolia, but he appears to be a Pug – and a very cute one! Throughout the Men in Black movies, he helps Agents J and K with their missions. In the first film, Agent K roughly questions Frank, who then shares information about the Arquillian galaxy. In Men in Black II, Frank has a bigger part to play, and his scenes with Agent J are considered the highlight of an otherwise weak movie.

2) Paul

If Dr. Ryland Grace ever shared some marijuana with Rocky, the result would be very similar to Paul. However, the situation isn’t as dire this time. Instead of a sun-eating threat called Astrophage, Dr. Grace is being pursued by Secret Service agent Lorenzo Zoil – though Zoil ends up being more of a helper than an enemy.

This movie is essentially an adult version of E.T., and it really relies on a few key things: Seth Rogen’s fantastic performance as the main character, the impressive visual effects used to create him, and the talents of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost – who not only act in the film, but also wrote the script.

1) Croak

Xeno isn’t a totally original story. It’s very similar to films like E.T. and Bumblebee – a teenager becomes friends with an alien who has crash-landed on Earth. The alien is being chased by the CIA, but the connection they form with the human becomes more important than its own survival.

Despite its age, Xeno remains a strong film. The alien creature, Croak, is visually impressive, the overall tone is perfectly balanced, and Lulu Wilson continues to demonstrate her talent as a leading actress. However, the most compelling aspect of the movie is the genuine connection between Croak and Lulu Wilson’s character, Renee Rowan.

Stream Xeno for free on Hoopla.

We’re curious: what’s your favorite way to portray the relationship between humans and aliens? Share your thoughts in the comments and discuss it with other fans in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-03-30 23:15