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Poster for It Came from Outer Space

It Came from Outer Space

Seen it?

1953 | 80 min | Science Fiction, Horror

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

It earned strong reviews (81% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz and a lukewarm 6.3 out of 10 from audiences. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for horror fans and sci-fi fans. If you loved Invasion of the Body Snatchers, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Scary.
The pace
Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 20 min.
What might put you off
  • Made in 1953: an older pace and style.
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

Author and amateur astronomer John Putnam and schoolteacher Ellen Fields witness an enormous meteorite come down near a small town in Arizona. Putnam becomes a local object of scorn when, after examining the object up close, he announces that it is a spacecraft, and that it is inhabited...

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsStrong

    81% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesBelow par

    6.3 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Box office & staying powerBelow par

    $2 million worldwide on a $800K budget

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    Not enough engagement data yet

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Jack Arnold

  • Richard CarlsonJohn Putnam
  • Barbara RushEllen Fields
  • Charles DrakeSheriff Matt Warren
  • Joe SawyerFrank Daylon
  • Russell JohnsonGeorge
  • Kathleen HughesJane Dean
  • Dave WillockPete Davis (uncredited)
  • Alan DexterDave Loring (uncredited)
  • George EldredgeDr. Snell (uncredited)
  • Edgar DearingSam, a hobo (uncredited)