They Live

They Live is the most politically radical studio film ever made — John Carpenter's furious allegory about Reagan-era capitalism, where a drifter named Nada discovers sunglasses that reveal the truth: billboards actually say 'OBEY' and 'CONSUME,' money says 'THIS IS YOUR GOD,' and the ruling class are skull-faced aliens. Roddy Piper, a professional wrestler with zero acting credits, delivers the iconic line: 'I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass — and I'm all out of bubblegum.'

The five-minute alley fight between Piper and Keith David — over whether David will put on the sunglasses — is the longest sustained fight scene in American cinema and a metaphor for the difficulty of forcing someone to see systemic oppression. Carpenter made the film for $3M as a direct response to Reaganomics, and its anti-capitalist messaging has only become more relevant. They Live's imagery has been appropriated by everyone from Shepard Fairey to conspiracy theorists, but Carpenter's intent was always specific: the aliens are not lizard people. They are the ultra-wealthy.