I was thinking about this in relation to the Thing. The popular "pop" explanation is that the Thing is an allegory for communism and the paranoia at the height of the Cold War. Everyone you know could be gasp a commie in disguise! And of course, the parallels with McCarthyism are pretty clear. However, I think you can make an alternate reading, where the alien represents the process of capital accumulation, and the subtext then becomes about how quickly capitalism can destroy all social bonds and will warp anything that came before into something potentially monstrous in its ever present need to consume and grow (RIP the dogs).

Are there any movies you like that have very common readings you disagree with (or very hot takes on a movie explanation)?