The Alien series has had nine movies so far, with the release of Alien: Romulus. With that release, there’s been a ramp-up in discussion about the series as a whole and just what are the best films. Here’s the top 5 films in the Alien series.
5. Alien Covenant
With Alien: Covenant, director Ridley Scott returned to basics a bit after his more cerebral prequel, Prometheus, turned some fans off. This entry is more of a pure science fiction horror film with engaging ideas like its predecessor but trims a bit of the narrative fat for a more action-driven story. The film serves as the second entry in the Alien prequel series, following Prometheus, and it focuses on a crew that lands on an uncharted planet only to encounter a truly terrifying discovery. Some of the complaints leveled at Romulus currently were also tossed Covenant‘s way at the time of its release, where most felt it was a greatest hits compilation of some of the franchises’ most frightening moments.
Some aspects of this are actual, considering that the big bone of contention was a perceived lack of action and the absence of the signature xenomorph that fans have come to know and love. Scott essentially gave the fans what they wanted, yet some went out of this entry disappointed, too. However, it’s an installment that has undoubtedly benefitted from the passage of a bit of time. Scott creates genuine moments of tension and atmosphere, and there is just enough exciting mythology here to leave the viewer wanting more. If the film suffers on any level, it’s because it was trying to please too many people at once. Still, after that is put aside, Covenant serves as a solid companion piece to Prometheus and makes one hope that Scott will one day finish his prequel trilogy.
4. Prometheus
Released over ten years ago, Prometheus is still the most flawlessly designed franchise entry, and its visuals still amaze today. Also directed by Ridley Scott, the marketing for Prometheus kept walking a fine line regarding whether or not the film was connected to the greater Alien franchise. Still, as the movie progressed, it was clear to audiences that Scott was serving up a prequel story that could fill in some exciting narrative blanks leading into the series as we came to know it in 1979.
Set in the late 21st century, Prometheus focuses on the spaceship crew of the same name as it charts a star map discovered alongside artifacts of several ancient Earth cultures. The crew intends to seek the origins of humanity, but what they find when they arrive in a distant world is a threat that could lead to the extinction of the human species. Even though Prometheus is ranked fourth on this list, I still consider it the most ambitious film of the franchise and think that it sets up some pretty intriguing ideas that make up for its more slow-burn and cerebral nature.
Many fans complained that this entry was more story-driven than action-driven, which makes it stand out from the pack. The characters are all interesting, mainly Michael Fassbender’s android David, whose curiosity and development of his personality take the film to some pretty intriguing places. The film is a visual feast of haunting cinematography and staggering production design that immerses the viewer in its world and never lets go. While some might think that the ideas were left unresolved, one has to wonder how much Covenant changed shape in its approach once the complaints tossed at Prometheus became deafening. No matter how you spin it, Prometheus at least takes chances and doesn’t feel like a mere copy of what came before.
3. Alien: Romulus
What director Fede Alvarez accomplishes with Alien: Romulus is allowing the franchise to stand up again as a pure visceral experience that calls back to Scott’s 1979 classic, in terms of tension and fear, and James Cameron’s more action-focused endeavor but pumping up the thrills, especially as the film heads to its conclusion. Set between Scott’s Alien and Cameron’s Aliens, Alien: Romulus centers on a group of young space colonists pursuing better living conditions.
While on their quest, they encounter creatures that prove to be very deadly while scavenging a derelict space station. The film proves to be the near-perfect marriage of Alien and Aliens, something that worked for me but has seemed to turn off some, saying the film sinks into fan service. There is undoubtedly some of that here, and fans will see just about every franchise film represented, but it was never done in a way that took away from Alvarez’s vision. He’s clearly an Alien devotee, which shines through via his impressive visual palette and the way he shoots scenes of escalating fear and intense action.
The film really shines through the relationship between Rain and Andy, played by Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson, who give the film a beating heart that makes it one of the most emotionally resonant entries to date. Spaeny also carries on a tradition of strong female leads, not necessarily telegraphing all of her boss-girl moments but showcasing a character who is a quick thinker who can adapt to situations, no matter how dangerous. Much has been made of the film’s third act, which is undoubtedly a big swing and really stuck with me by the film’s end, even if it’s clear it’s not working for everyone. What Alvarez ultimately captures with Alien: Romulus is a movie that showcases that there are ideas to explore in this franchise. His rejuvenation proves it can be fresh all these years later.
2. Aliens
Picking between Alien and Aliens seems redundant as both films are equally great in their own right, but it will all depend on the viewer’s taste. James Cameron’s sequel takes some of the atmospheric elements of the first film and amps them up with a high level of action that makes it a signature masterpiece of its genre. While Alien is quiet and mysterious until things go array, Aliens is more straightforward in its approach since the viewer is aware of the threat, and now it’s time to watch that threat evolve.
The film is set far in the future and finds Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley as the sole survivor of an alien attack on her ship. Communications have been lost with a human colony on the moon where her crew first encountered the Xenomorph so Ripley agrees to return to the site with a unit of Colonial Marines to investigate what’s going on, which leads to more mayhem as they encounter even more trouble from the alien creatures. Cameron serves himself well by not trying to copy what Scott did in the first film and merely making the sequel his own, putting his personal stamp on the material.
The sequel is tonally different from its predecessor, offering thrills, albeit in a different way, compared to the previous installment. Despite having a more action-focused story, the movie still gradually builds tension, with an alien encounter not happening until nearly an hour into the film. The sequel expands the franchise’s scope with a bit more backstory, but it’s never too much to dull the fear permeating every film frame.
Also of significance is the evolution of Weaver as Ripley, who was initially blended into the ensemble of the first film before taking action in the end. This version of the character is someone who has experienced things that have changed her; in some ways, they have killed her spirit, but they have also made her stronger and determined to take action. It’s a rare sequel that is on par with the original for me, while some argue that the film surpasses it.
1. Alien
Ridley Scott’s magnum opus of terror in space remains 45 years after its initial release. There is a calmness to the atmosphere he creates in the depths of space that puts the viewer at ease and yet also gives them a growing sense of dread. The film follows the crew of the Nostromo, who face a deadly extraterrestrial that has been let loose with their vessel after they come across a derelict spaceship on an uncharted planet. It’s the simplicity of Alien that makes it so frightening, as well as the fact that it follows the notion that less is more. Keeping the Xenomorph virtually hidden until necessary heightens the film’s level of fear as the isolation of space truly engulfs the viewer from start to finish.
Scott essentially creates an intergalactic haunted house of terror where anything can be lurking around any corner. Alien is an exercise in a creative style that is also adult in its approach. It’s never exploitative or a mere scare machine. There is more going on in the film that makes Alien stick with you long after it’s over. There is a reason the franchise has endured for so long, and it all starts with Scott’s first entry, which sets the tone for how good this franchise can genuinely be.
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