7) Alien: Covenant (2017)
Sometimes I never understand the point of prequels and that’s especially true with Alien. I don’t need to know the origins of the Xenomorphs, since that takes away the mystery behind some of the scariest monsters in cinema history. Overlooking that petty complaint though, Covenant is still an absolute mess. The characters are mind-boggingly stupid for one thing, and the film never decides what it wants to be. A more direct Alien prequel which heavily features the Xenomorphs? A continuation of Prometheus that continues exploring deeper science-fiction topics? It can’t decide, so it tries to do both, and neither work.
6) Prometheus (2012)
While I still don’t think this film works at all, I at least give Ridley Scott the benefit of the doubt here. Prometheus is deliberately trying to set itself apart from Alien, exploring new areas of the universe and more complex science-fiction ideas. With a director like Scott, all this looks beautiful. Sadly, it’s multiple different ideas crammed together into a script that can’t possibly balance them all. The most frustrating thing is that some ideas would be great for other science-fiction films, ones which have nothing to do with Alien. Shoehorning them in here just wastes their potential, and leaves both Prometheus and Covenant as two immensely disappointing films that could have been so much better than they were.
5) Alien: Resurrection (1997)
Even in a film series as experimental as this, Alien: Resurrection is an oddity. Its over-the-top schlocky tone doesn’t really feel like Alien to me, but I can’t deny it’s got some fun ideas. Despite this, Resurrection is the second Alien film in a row where the ideas of the creatives clashed with the desires of the studio executives. As a result the Joss Whedon script, intended to be more fun, was given to a director who was having to satisfy the horror expectations of the studio. This leads to some amazingly over-the-top moments, particularly the utter insanity of the climax, but gloriously fun moments unfortunately don’t come together into a satisfying film. Watch it with a few drinks though, because things get genuinely insane here.
4) Alien: Romulus (2024)
It was certainly cool to see a brand new Alien movie in cinemas. Directed by Fede Àlvarez, this certainly feels like the work of an Alien fanboy and this really delivers on both action and horror. The Xenomorphs here are the scariest they’ve been in a while, and I also liked a lot of the cast, particularly Cailee Spaeny. However, Àlvarez indulges in his nostalgia a bit too much: the inclusion of a past character really doesn’t work, and it essentially feels like an inferior mashup of Alien and Aliens. It’s good fun, but it’s not as groundbreaking as some are making it out to be.
3) Alien 3 (1992)
It feels odd to place this one so high, since Alien 3 still doesn’t quite work. A key decision it makes at the start is infuriating, and studio interference leads to a jumbled script and weak supporting cast. However, I really applaud Alien 3’s ambition. There’s some phenomenal production design here and interesting (if a little underdeveloped) explorations of sexual and religious themes. Sigourney Weaver delivers one of her finest ever performances as Ripley, and it’s a really interesting film for her character. It’s far from perfect, and it gets a lot of things wrong, but David Fincher attempted to shoot for the stars here, and the extended Assembly Cut helps to restore more of his vision.
2) Aliens (1986)
Admit it: you know these two were going to be at the top. The Alien franchise has spent 40 years trying to top its first two films, but I don’t think it will ever happen. Aliens is an amazing follow-up that turns the claustrophobic horror of the first instalment into a fantastic action blockbuster. This is some of James Cameron’s best direction, as he directs really intense action set pieces and also gives us characters that we really care about. He also knows not to abandon horror entirely, as there’s some great jump scares and nailbiting sequences towards the end. It’s definitely relentless, sometimes a little too much, but it’s one of the best sequels ever made and a damn good movie.
Nothing will ever top the original. With just his second feature film, Ridley Scott made an absolute masterclass in horror that very few have ever been able to match. He manages to make you feel uneasy before the alien has even turned up, but once it does, it’s non-stop suspense and the direction here is some of the best ever for a horror film. Our cast all manage to be interesting and memorable, but the true star of the show is the young Sigourney Weaver who helped make the most iconic heroine in film history. Aliens came damn close, and the sequels all offered interesting takes on the mythology, but as far as a start-to-finish film experience goes, Alien is as close to perfect as you can get.
