E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
He is afraid. He is totally alone. He is 3,000,000 light years from home.
An alien is left behind on Earth and saved by the 10-year-old Elliott who decides to keep him hidden in his home. While a task force hunts for the extra-terrestrial, Elliott, his brother, and his little sister Gertie form an emotional bond with their new friend, and try to help him find his way home.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 11 June 1982 |
| Genre | Adventure, Science Fiction, Family |
| Director | Steven Spielberg |
| Starring | Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore and Robert MacNaughton |
| Runtime | 115 min |
| Rated | PG |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 9.3/10 · IMDb 7.9/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 99% · Letterboxd 3.8/5 · Metacritic 92/100 · TMDB users 7.5/10 |
| Budget | $11 million |
| Box office | $793 million worldwide |
Where to watch E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
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Rent or buy
You can rent E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home and FlixFling. It is also for sale on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in 66 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Albania | SkyShowtime about |
| Andorra | Prime Video, SkyShowtime |
| Angola | Prime Video |
| Antigua & Barbuda | Max |
| Argentina | Max $9590 ARS |
| Australia | Binge $19.00 AUD, Foxtel |
| Austria | Skygo, Max €11.99 |
| Bahamas | Max |
| Barbados | Max |
| Belgium | Max €10.99 |
| Belize | Max |
| Bolivia | Max |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | SkyShowtime about |
| Brazil | Clarovideo |
| Bulgaria | SkyShowtime €6.99 |
| Canada | Prime Video $9.99 CAD |
| Chile | Max $9590 CLP, Clarovideo |
| Colombia | Max $24900 COP, Clarovideo |
| Costa Rica | Max |
| Croatia | SkyShowtime €8.99 |
| Czechia | SkyShowtime 259 Kč |
| Denmark | Viaplay 159 kr DKK, SkyShowtime 109 kr DKK |
| Dominican Republic | Max |
| Ecuador | Max $8.29, Clarovideo |
| El Salvador | Max |
| Finland | SkyShowtime €9.99, Viaplay €13.99 |
| France | Max €10.99 |
| Germany | Disney+ €10.99, Skygo, Max €11.99 |
| Guatemala | Max |
| Guyana | Max |
| Honduras | Max |
| Hungary | SkyShowtime 2590 Ft |
| Iceland | Viaplay 799 kr ISK |
| India | Jiohotstar |
| Ireland | Skygo |
| Italy | Prime Video €4.99, Skygo, Now TV |
| Jamaica | Max |
| Japan | Prime Video ¥600 JPY, Hulu |
| Liechtenstein | Max |
| Luxembourg | Max |
| Mexico | Max $149 MXN, Clarovideo |
| Monaco | Prime Video, Max |
| Netherlands | SkyShowtime €9.99 |
| Nicaragua | Max |
| Norway | Viaplay 169 kr NOK, SkyShowtime 109 kr NOK |
| Panama | Max $8.29 |
| Paraguay | Max |
| Peru | Max S/35.90, Clarovideo |
| Poland | SkyShowtime 34.99 zł |
| Portugal | SkyShowtime €8.99 |
| Romania | SkyShowtime about 37.44 lei |
| San Marino | Prime Video |
| Serbia | SkyShowtime about 1058 din |
| Slovakia | SkyShowtime €8.99 |
| Slovenia | SkyShowtime €8.99 |
| South Korea | Watcha |
| Spain | Prime Video €4.99, SkyShowtime €8.99 |
| St. Lucia | Max |
| Sweden | Viaplay 169 kr SEK, SkyShowtime 109 kr SEK |
| Switzerland | Max CHF16.90 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Max |
| Turks & Caicos Islands | Max |
| United Kingdom | Skygo |
| Uruguay | Max $U399 |
| Vatican City | Prime Video |
| Venezuela | Max |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 science fiction adventure that treats a government manhunt with the same casual dread as a missing pet. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film runs 115 minutes, which is exactly how long it takes to realize the creature is not a toy but a passenger. The tension comes from hiding an alien in a suburban bedroom while a task force hunts for the extra-terrestrial. It is a story about isolation, told from the perspective of a child who knows he is in over his head. The stakes feel personal before they become planetary.
What the critics said
Critics didn't just like it; they practically worshiped it. Rotten Tomatoes lists a 99% approval rating as of December 2025, while Metacritic gives it a 92/100 Metascore as of January 2026. Roger Ebert gave it four stars, noting that "there's not a dry eye in the house." Pauline Kael agreed, saying Spielberg "earned the tears" of the audience. George Will was one of few to pan it, objecting to its subversive notions about childhood and science. A dissenting voice in a sea of praise is usually a good sign.
How it did with audiences
The $10 million budget turned into $793 million worldwide, with $435 million coming from the United States alone. In film math, that is a landslide. On TMDB, users give it a 7.5 out of 10. IMDb users, who weigh their votes differently, landed on 7.9 as of December 2025. The numbers suggest everyone left the theater wanting a friend who could fly.
Awards
E.T. took home 20 awards from 27 nominations. John Williams won the Academy Award for Best Original Score, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, the BAFTA Award for Best Original Music, and the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media. Spielberg earned directing honors from the National Society of Film Critics, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and the Boston Society of Film Critics. The film itself captured Best Picture at the Golden Globes and the LAFCAs, plus a Saturn for Best Sci-Fi Film. It picked up 4 Oscars, including Visual Effects and Sound. Richard Attenborough, whose Gandhi won Best Picture, admitted he was certain E.T. should have taken the top prize.
What came next for the cast
Drew Barrymore entered E.T. with a single credit, Altered States. She left with a trajectory that included Scream, Donnie Darko, and 50 First Dates. The film did not cause that shift, but it marked the exit from obscurity. Peter Coyote arrived with Southern Comfort under his belt. He departed toward a steady stream of supporting roles, including Patch Adams and Erin Brockovich. One went from invisible to ubiquitous. The other stayed busy, just less visible.
Where it left its mark
AFI polls rank it the 24th greatest film of all time, a stat that feels light for a movie that defined a decade of childhood. The line "E.T. phone home" sits at 15th on AFI's quote list, a testament to how easily a simple request for connection becomes a cultural shorthand. It also topped a 2005 Channel 4 poll of family films, proving its emotional grip travels across borders. The creature itself became so iconic that a sponge species got named after it. That is a strange legacy for a little green guy who just wanted to go home.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Sources
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q11621 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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