That's actually a plot point of the movie: the upper and ruling classes are aliens who manipulate the human populace through commands hidden "underneath" the facade of mass media and advertisements. The aliens look like ugly, malformed humans, but only those with the right tools could see them for what they really are. For being nearly 40 years old, the movie holds up well, and the themes and story seem even more relevant today.

It also has one of the best fight scenes in movie history.