In a 2015 interview with Yahoo News, Carpenter said that They Live is “a documentary. It’s not science-fiction.” Conceived during Reaganomics, the story examines a society obsessed with consumerism and greed. The villains are aliens from another planet and represented the Reagan Republican government and greedy bankers of the 80s.
According to Carpenter, it has only gotten worse. “It’s morphed into something really bizarre. The same problem – unrestrained capitalism – still exists. Everything is built to make a profit.”
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When Nada puts on the special sunglasses, he is bombarded with subliminal messages hidden within the pages of magazines, on billboards, and in other forms of advertisement. Nothing is left to the imagination when humans are subliminally told to Consume, Obey, Buy, Conform, Stay Asleep, Do Not Question Authority, No Independent Thought, and Money is Your God!
Carpenter created They Live as a warning against greed and propaganda. While filming, Carpenter was surprised by people not noticing or paying attention to the props with subliminal messages. As if it was normal.