They Live is primarily a film about how media is used to control society and it only benefits the creators. The plot of the film is based on this idea. It's easy for the general public to agree with Nada and distrust the media after watching They Live. However, I would argue that Nada is actually the antagonist of the film and the aliens are the victims. It represents discrimination and They Live is about racism and anti-immigrant sentiment. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay There is ample evidence that They Live is about media corruption. Media is seen throughout the film as simple and controlling messages. People often watch television without thinking. The media is seen as just helping the rich get richer. We have the feeling of not being free because the media manipulate people. The news machine prevents people from seeing what is really in front of them. But there is also plenty of evidence that the film is about racism. Early on, there is a black man preaching about aliens trying to control humans, further proof of media corruption. But he also says that they are “our owners” and “they are our masters”. The decision to use these names and the race of the person saying them may be linked to slavery. Later, several images are projected on a television screen. There is an eagle that represents America, the land of the free. Then Native Americans are shown, and America has a history with Native Americans that completely contrasts with the idea of ​​freedom. Finally, a happy white family is presented as if to distract viewers from thinking about the injustices against Native Americans. The rest of the film focuses on modern racism. In They Live, Nada views the media as manipulative and evil through her sunglasses. The sunglasses make him see the true meanings, such as consuming and obeying. He can only see these messages in black and white, otherwise see things as they are, stripped of any makeup. He sees the aliens, supposedly trying to control humans, by the same means. But there is little evidence in the film that these aliens are trying to harm the human race. When Nada puts on his glasses for the first time, he is intrigued by the messages he sees. He only becomes concerned when he sees the aliens and immediately attributes these messages to them, creating a reason to fear them. This thought process is similar to how foreigners become scapegoats for problems such as a failing economy. The black and white images mean that Nada can only see things as good or bad. According to him, real born American citizens are good and aliens are bad. Nada does not have a revelatory experience. He puts on sunglasses, representing the obscuring of his vision and his inability to view the aliens as good people. The aliens are depicted as a threat to Nada because they pursue him and try to kill him after he sees the truth. Their depiction as skinless bodies makes them unattractive and frightening to the audience. Nada can also now see the machines following him. For these reasons, the passive audience will see the aliens as the bad guys. However, these are also ideas that lead to racist and anti-immigrant sentiments. People classify others as foreigners based on their