Classics: A Review of They Live By Lauren Ennis

 "The whole deal is like some kind of crazy game" laments drifter Jon Nada about modern life. In 1988's action horror comedy They Live Nada learns all about the rigged game that is modern society and just how high the stakes of that game are. At once a biting satire of modern America and a call to action, They Live remains one of the most subversive and relevant films in cinema. Join Nada on an action packed thrill ride in They Live.

The story begins with drifter Nada arriving in Los Angeles. soon after his arrival he finds temporary construction work and befriends fellow transient, Frank. Frank takes him to a nearby soup kitchen run by the mysterious Gilbert. After listening to a local street preacher warning that "they" are recruiting the rich and powerful to enslave humanity. The next day broadcasts across the city are hacked to show a message that echoes the preacher's warning. When he sees the preacher meeting with Gilbert Nada follows them to a church. Inside the church he witnesses the meeting of a secretive group which includes Gilbert, the preacher, and the man who hacked the broadcast. Later that night, the police raid the church, leaving no evidence of the group except for a box of sunglasses. When Nada puts on a pair of the sunglasses he sees reality for the first time and makes a terrifying realization. So begins his quest to expose the truth and free humanity before its too late.

Released as a scathing critique of Reagan-era America, the film manages to be even more relevant and biting today. The film aptly satirizes the pervasive presence of mass media through its depiction of coded subliminal messages surrounding the characters at every turn. While the depictions of mass media's efforts to promote conformity, subservience, and above all their own profits resonated upon the film's release they are even more crucial in the era of social media. While in the 1980's corporations and politicians would utilize their influence to own benefit, in today's society private citizens unwittingly spread that influence for them, free of charge.  For example, while in the film Nada sees subliminal messages urging people to marry and have children to support the state in today's society one need only open a friend's social media page to be bombarded with images carefully curated domestic bliss. Similarly, throughout the film the characters are brainwashed into spending their money on frivolous luxury items and told that their worth depends upon their ability to make those purchases. While advertisers have always sought to increase sales the marketing campaigns of the past are dwarfed by the reach of self-styled social media influencers who promote everything from their personal brand to individual products to idealized lifestyles to their fan base. Additionally, the film highlights the way in which our human need for connection and belonging is weaponized by political regimes, religions, and society as a whole in order to ensure obedience. This demand for conformity has become nothing short of militant in the advent of cancel culture in which people have been ostracized for merely questioning the accepted narrative. Finally, the film's portrayal of society's elites as space aliens is more bitingly ironic than ever in an era in which those in power continuously prove themselves to be out of touch with and alienated from their fellow citizens.

The film is brought to life thanks to the out of this world work of its cast. Keith David aptly captures the decency and honesty of Frank. Meg Foster combines cool charisma with cold calculation to create a femme fatale for the modern era as Nada's love interest, Holly. Even in the midst of apt ensemble performances the film belongs to Roddy Piper as unlikely hero, Nada, who blends deadpan humor, raw physicality, and roguish charm to be the hero we may not have wanted but just might need.

At once an action-packed adventure and a scathing satire They Live is a film that, much like the world behind Nada's sunglasses, must be seen to be believed. The script serves up one of the most sharply written critiques of modern society to have ever been put to celluloid and manages to cut even deeper today. The cast bring each of their characters to colorful life with humor and charisma. Pack up your bubblegum and prepare to kick some ass courtesy of They Live.