The Day the Earth Stood Still

In 1928, a solitary mountaineer is exploring the Karakoram mountains in India when he encounters a mysterious glowing sphere. After losing consciousness due to an unknown force, he awakens to find the sphere vanished, leaving behind a scar on his hand.

In the present day, scientists detect a rapidly moving object beyond Jupiter's orbit that poses a catastrophic threat to Earth. The U.S. government quickly mobilizes, assembling a team of scientists, including Helen Benson and Michael Granier, to devise a survival strategy.

The object suddenly slows and descends into Manhattan, revealing itself to be a large spherical spaceship. Helen, the scientists, and military forces rush to the scene to assess the situation as curiosity and fear grip the onlookers.

An alien emerges from the spaceship, prompting Helen to approach it with hopeful intentions. Unfortunately, the situation escalates when the alien is shot amidst the chaos, leading to a sense of urgent danger.

A gigantic humanoid robot appears at the scene, temporarily paralyzing everything with a high-pitched noise. After the alien commands the robot to cease its defensive actions, the tension in the air begins to shift once again.

The wounded alien is taken to a laboratory where scientists discover its bioengineered exterior skin. After extracting the bullet, the being ages rapidly into Klaatu, resembling the mountaineer from 1928, which reveals the depth of the mystery surrounding him.

Klaatu asserts to Secretary of Defense Regina Jackson that he is here to communicate with Earth's leaders about saving the planet from ecocide. However, his mission is jeopardized when Jackson has him sent for interrogation instead of facilitating dialogue.

Following Klaatu's arrival, the appearance of other smaller spheres around the globe incites widespread panic and military action. A drone attack is launched against the main sphere, but it is quickly thwarted by the powerful robot, GORT.

Klaatu connects with Mr. Wu, another alien who has assimilated into human society. Wu enlightens Klaatu about the destructive tendencies of humans, yet expresses his personal attachment to Earth, showcasing the duality of their mission.

Klaatu gives the order for the smaller spheres to collect specimens of Earth's animal species. His intention is to preserve life for reintroduction, revealing his desire to save Earth from humanity's self-destructive path.

Helen introduces Klaatu to Professor Barnhardt, where they discuss the dire need for humanity to evolve and transform to avert disaster. Barnhardt implores Klaatu to reconsider his stance on Earth's ability to change for the better.

While being studied by the military, GORT undergoes a transformation into a self-replicating swarm of nano-machines. The swarm consumes every man-made structure in its path, escalating the tension as the military tries to contain the situation.

Klaatu escapes military custody with Jacob, experiencing through him the complexity of human emotions and relationships. As they traverse the perilous landscape, Klaatu's understanding of humanity deepens.

After a heart-wrenching moment at Jacob's father's grave, Klaatu realizes that he cannot resurrect the dead. Despite the emotional turmoil, Klaatu reflects on humanity's potential for growth, leading to a pivotal change in his mission.

In a climactic moment, Klaatu touches the Central Park sphere, right before being consumed by the swarm. His actions deactivate the swarm and save humanity, but at a grave cost of shutting down all electronic systems on Earth.