In Cocoon, a group of elderly people living in a retirement community stumble upon a swimming pool that rejuvenates them. They soon realize that the pool is a hiding place for a group of friendly extraterrestrials who are trying to retrieve cocoons containing their companions. As the elderly protagonists continue to visit the swimming pool, they experience renewed energy and youthfulness, leading to a series of heartwarming and humorous events.

In Cocoon: The Return, a group of elderly people who discovered an alien presence in the first film return to St. Petersburg, Florida, for more adventures. The aliens offer them the chance to live forever, but they must leave their loved ones behind. As they grapple with the moral dilemma, the group also deals with issues of old age, friendship, illness, and poverty. The film explores themes of suffering, pain, and the search for happiness in one's later years.