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Liquid Sky

Liquid Sky

Strange aliens having bizarre orgasms!

1982112 minRMidcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Director
Slava Tsukerman
Starring
Paula E. Sheppard, Bob Brady, Jack Adalist, David Ilku

An alien creature invades New York's punk subculture in its search for an opiate released by the brain during an orgasm.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Liquid Sky?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Liquid Sky on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Liquid Sky?

Liquid Sky earns 6 badges, led by Top 10% in Sci-Fi and One of a kind.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is Liquid Sky worth watching?

Liquid Sky's Midcredits score is the 56th percentile of all films, from 28K ratings across 6 sources. 51% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

56th percentile

Better received than 56% of films

92nd percentile among Sci-Fi59th percentile among 1980s
Acclaim (how much people like it)56th
Approval (how many liked it)54th

63 /100

56th percentile of all films

92nd percentile among Sci-Fi60th percentile among 1980s

Critics 66 · Audience 63

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.3 — solid but not unanimous.

51% liked it

54th percentile of all films

88th percentile among Sci-Fi56th percentile among 1980s
51% rated it 7–1049% rated it 1–6

Critics 93% · Audience 70%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 2 wins / 0 noms overall

75th percentile

28K ratings across platforms

92nd percentile among Sci-Fi72nd percentile among 1980s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 17% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$500K

What reviewers say

Common ground

A bizarre, low-budget sci-fi artifact that perfectly captures the look and feel of the early-80s New York punk and new wave club scene.

Fans praised

  • arresting psychedelic visuals and neon color palette
  • authentic time capsule of the early-80s NYC punk/new wave underground
  • bold originality and transgressive gender/queer themes

Detractors panned

  • amateurish acting and stilted dialogue
  • grating repetitive synth score
  • pretentious, meandering plot with unlikeable characters

What stands out

OriginalityDivisive85

utterly unique, nothing like it before or since

AtmosphereDivisive80

perfectly captures the seedy, surreal vibe of early-80s NYC club scene

CinematographyDivisive70

vivid neon/psychedelic color; grainy and amateurish but visually arresting

Plot and storyDivisive40

absurd, thin, meandering; concept praised as original but execution incoherent

CharactersDivisive35

unlikable, shallow, but fascinatingly repellent and self-absorbed

ActingDivisive30

stiff, amateurish, porno-level; Anne Carlisle's dual role praised as a highlight

Sound and musicDivisive25

grating, repetitive, amateur synth; a few fans find it ahead of its time

Pacing20

overlong, sluggish, repetitive; 20-30 minutes too long

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 10 points higher than men.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 10 points higher than critics.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is Liquid Sky like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense, has a few laughs and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want every question answered.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseAbsurdManic
Heaviest: late
Dark humor
Register
Campy · 4% of filmsSatirical · 5% of filmsAbsurdist · 7% of films: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents its bizarre, violent premise and New Wave characters with a detached, campy eye, often undercutting the horror with absurdity.
The rideThe film oscillates between campy, energy-filled party scenes and sudden, starkly violent deaths, building to a chaotic, ambiguous finale.
StructureThe story follows a conventional linear arc: the alien arrives, kills several people, and ends with Margaret's departure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

Haunting · 14% of filmsUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe blend of campy satire and genuine violence leaves a lingering unease about desire, addiction, and the search for identity.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% (this title) · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe tiny alien that kills during orgasm acts as a predator, and the story follows Margaret and others encountering it, though Margaret never actively fights it.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% (this title) · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% (this title) · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsAddiction · 1% of filmsViolence · 4% of films
Satirizes its theme: Attacks its theme through ridicule.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeMargaret's fractured sense of self, intertwined with cocaine and heroin use, is explored through her sexual encounters and the alien's deadly harvest.
StanceThe film satirizes the New Wave fashion, drug culture, and sexual mores of early-80s Manhattan through its campy alien-exploitation premise.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticStylized realism
ElectronicForeground music · original score · Slava Tsukerman
SettingNew York City's Lower East Side New Wave scene, early 1980s
MusicSynth-heavy score underscores the alien presence and the New Wave aesthetic.

Content guide

Is Liquid Sky okay for kids?

R

Liquid Sky is rated R. As of October 2, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (74/100), sexual content at intense (76/100), language at severe (93/100), drug and alcohol content at severe (97/100) and frightening material at moderate (56/100). Its violence, language and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Overall
Severe · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Intense
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 94%
Profanity
Severe
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 99%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (9 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (56 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Liquid Sky have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Liquid Sky?

Cast

Paula E. Sheppard
as Adrian
Bob Brady
as Owen
Jack Adalist
as Vincent
David Ilku
as Designer's Boyfriend
Ben Barenholtz
Jeff Most
Anne Carlisle
as Margaret
Susan Doukas
as Sylvia
Otto von Wernherr
as Johann
Elaine C. Grove
as Katherine

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Liquid Sky?

Movies like Liquid Sky include Performance (1970), The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) and Santa Sangre (1989). Of the 12 closest matches, most are stories of toxic codependency, and half are counterculture films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

5 of these 12 share its subject: addiction. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Liquid Sky?

773 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: alien. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.