For as long as we can remember, humans have been captivated by conspiracy theories. There’s something about the stories that mention UFOs and the possibility of extraterrestrial lives that keeps us up at night. Perhaps it is the fear of the unknown or our deep yearning for a proof that shows we are not alone in the universe. Whatever it may be, conspiracy theories have found their way into all spheres of our lives.
They are so powerful, in fact, that we see them featured in various books that want to discover whether there is any truth behind them. In addition to that, popular TV shows like The X-Files have brought these theories closer to us. However, the real gems have been movies whose plot revolves around conspiracy theories.
Although conspiracy theories aren’t backed by science, this doesn’t stop us from pretending that there is some truth in them. And who knows, maybe there is. Perhaps influential organizations don’t want us to find out certain things, like that Mars harbors life. We guess we’ll find out one day.
For now, it might be useful to check conspiracy theories that inspired sci-fi movies. Let’s see what landed on the big screen and kept us engaged for hours!
The Philadelphia Experiment
For our first story, we have to go back to 1955. That year, UFO researcher and writer Morris K. Jessup received a letter from Carlos Miguel Allende. It wasn’t your typical letter. Quite the contrary, Allende’s message made many raise their eyebrows, but there were those who couldn’t help but believe what he said.
In the letter, Allende wrote that he witnessed a secret experiment during World War II. Allegedly, numerous scientists working for the U.S. Navy were trying to make a warship invisible. Naturally, this invention would have changed the nature of armed conflicts as we know it. During this experiment, Carlos claimed that the USS Eldridge had been rendered invisible to enemy devices.
Reportedly, the experiment was a success. This led to more research as scientists were trying to outdo themselves. And they did, according to Allende. Not only was Eldridge invisible, but it was also able to teleport itself to another location.
Now, this story is perfect for the big screen!
Almost 30 years later, Stewart Raffill directed The Philadelphia Experiment, a science fiction movie. Michael Pare and Bobby Di Cicco play two sailors aboard the USS Eldridge who are getting ready for the experiment in 1943. However, something goes wrong, and they find themselves in the year 1984. They need to find a way to save the planet from a rift in time and space.
Let’s see which other conspiracy theories that inspired sci-fi movies!
The Roswell Incident
The Roswell Incident is famous around the world, and it’s no wonder that a movie studio wanted to explore this event.
In 1947, the Roswell Daily Record published a story which read that the U.S. military captured debris from a flying disc. The writers were inspired by a balloon crash that happened at a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. There was nothing unusual about the incident, said the U.S. military. A weather balloon crashed and they collected debris from it. There were no unidentified flying objects involved.
Nevertheless, the public still believed that the American government discovered a flying saucer in
Roswell. Some even theorized that living occupants from the craft had been transported to Area 51. In the following decades, the Roswell Incident played a leading role in many books, TV documentaries, and footage purporting to show an alien autopsy.
Most importantly for our article on conspiracy theories that inspired sci-fi movies, there were traces of the Roswell Incident in Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day. During an alien invasion, it is revealed that President Whitmore (Bill Pullman) had indeed captured a UFO and three occupants in 1947. The U.S. government studied these findings for years at Area 51 in the film.
Makes you question whether there is some truth in these conspiracy theories that inspired sci-fi movies, right?
Men in Black
Men in black (MIB) occupy a crucial role in UFO conspiracy theories. They allegedly show up whenever there is a UFO-related incident. Dressed in black suits, they pose as government agents to scare their victims. But, who are their victims exactly? UFO witnesses! They want to silence them and ensure no one knows the truth about UFO events.
Furthermore, people who’ve reportedly encountered MIB claim that they are strange and threatening. Some have even gone as far as to suggest that MIB are aliens themselves or perhaps robots. Who knows, maybe they are. Why else would they try to hide the truth so hard? Supposedly, of course.
This conspiracy theory inspired the widely popular Men in Black, a science fiction film series. Agent J (Will Smith) and Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) are members of a top-secret organization whose goal is to monitor alien activity on Earth. It doesn’t take them long to encounter a fierce enemy — an intergalactic terrorist.
In addition to that, MIB were also featured in The X-Files. They used to also appear in Doctor Who.
Which of these conspiracy theories that inspired sci-fi movies frighten and fascinate you? Tell us below!