Throwing it back to the 90s, this major sci-fi film is set to appear on TV this weekend, providing the ultimate sofa watch from home.

Released in 1996, the American action film Independence Day was quick to spark interest from sci-fi fans as it addressed the mind-boggling question – are aliens real? Both written and directed by disaster movie mogul Roland Emmerich, the film explores his own belief in the extraterrestrial.

Its release marked a huge turning point within cinema and was a trailblazer in leading the resurgence of large-scale disaster movies in the 90s. What certainly helped was its A-list ensemble cast, made up of Will Smith, Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum, who fans can’t help but praise for their performances.

One Rotten Tomatoes review described the film as “hard not to like”. They wrote: “Independence Day blazed the way for the now-classic 90s blockbuster formula, somehow blending disaster, sci-fi, American exceptionalism, alien mythology, military might and cheesy movie cliche into an effective and enjoyable save-the-world action thriller that’s hard not to like and still totally holds up, memorable one-liners and all.”

The film follows the story of a major disaster, when worldwide communications systems are sent into turmoil by an unusual atmospheric interference. The military soon learn this is due to gigantic objects that are colliding with the earth, piloted by what appears to be an alien species.

All in one day, on July 3rd, the aliens manage to completly obliterate both New York, Los Angeles and even Washington, as well as other capital cities across the globe – from London to Houston and Moscow. Those that have been lucky enough to survive divise a plan to fight back against the now enslaving aliens, with the aims to gain freedom on America’s Independence Day, July 4.

Another viewer took to the review site to say: “A bombastic, patriotic, and proudly cheesy sci-fi spectacle that delivers exactly what it promises: aliens, explosions, and Bill Pullman’s legendary “we will not go quietly into the night” speech.

“Roland Emmerich goes full disaster-movie-mode here, leveling landmarks with glee and rallying humanity with crowd-pleasing energy.” Meanwhile, another fan of the film claimed the film was their “favourite alien movie” with “amazing” CGI.

One viewer said: “30 plus years later, it still holds up! One of my favourite end-of-the-world action movies.” Others agreed, saying: “My favourite alien movie EVER.”

Whilst at the time it was the film’s special effects and sound that gained recognition at the Academy Awards, many can’t help but praise the performances of the cast in this film. One fan wrote: “Will Smith and Goldblum together are an A+ in my book. Highly recommended!”

Another commented: “I loved the idea of aliens invading Earth. I’d argue this is Bill Pullman’s best performance. This is edge-of-your-seat. Can Earth fight back? Will they figure out a way? It’s probably based on War of the Worlds. It never really dragged; it was good all the time.”

Independence Day is set to air on TV this Saturday, November 15, on Film4 at 9:00pm. Alternatively, the film can be streamed on Disney+.