Pixels

Pixels (2015) is a sci-fi comedy directed by Chris Columbus — watch it online on iFILM. In 1982, NASA sent a time capsule into space packed with footage of arcade games. Aliens received it, mistook it for a declaration of war, and now they're attacking Earth using full-size, pixel-perfect replicas of Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Centipede.

The military has no idea what to do. The White House does: recruit former arcade champions. Adam Sandler plays a cable installer who nearly won the world championship as a kid. Kevin James is the U.S. president and his old pal. Peter Dinklage shows up as a flamboyant record-holder who negotiates in exchange for a date with Serena Williams. Josh Gad rounds out the squad as an anxious conspiracy theorist convinced nothing about this invasion is real.

Director Chris Columbus leans hard into 1980s nostalgia and keeps the tone light throughout. The pixel battles crashing through New York streets are exactly as ridiculous as they sound — and that's the point. Stream Pixels (2015) online on iFILM.