With “Alien: Romulus” bursting into theaters everywhere, the “Alien” saga has now been producing new entries for 45 straight years. This saga has a firm grip on pop culture that isn’t weakening anytime soon. What is it about the “Alien” movies that make it so popular while other sci-fi horror franchises vanish quickly from the public consciousness? Part of its the enduring appeal of Ellen Ripley as a character. It’s also important to remember that the Xenomorph’s are brought to life with awe-inspiring visual effects that never seem to age (at least in the original installments). The saga’s incorporation of famous filmmakers like James Cameron, Ridley Scott, and David Fincher (among others) has also kept it consistently on the pop culture radar.
Most of all, the “Alien” movies play on universal fears about something lurking in the shadows to hurt you. Everyone has those thoughts when they walk into an empty, darkened room. Just imagine all the potentially terrifying beasties lurking in wait inside the vastness of space. Plus, who doesn’t love watching gnarly and scary set pieces involving those freaky-looking Xenomorph’s? There’s really no end to the joys of the “Alien” saga, a fact made all the more apparent after ranking all the mainline entries of this franchise (so no “Predator” crossover movies!) from worst to best.
The “Alien” saga has had its creative stumbles, no question. However, this ranking solidifies just how artistically fruitful and chilling this franchise has been more often than not.
7. Alien: Resurrection
The most enjoyable aspect of “Alien: Resurrection” is that “Amelie” director Jean-Pierre Jeanet clearly relishes the chance to deliver a bunch of graphic death scenes. Who knew this particular filmmaker had such visual imagination when it came to chronicling people’s demises at the hands of Xenomorph’s? That unexpected detail is one of the more entertaining aspects of a feature that’s other playing things paint-by-numbers. That’s a weird complaint for a motion picture with such a bizarre starting concept concerning Ellen Ripley getting resurrected with Xenomorph DNA in her body. As countless other movies have shown, the most bamboozling storyline can become a snoozefest in the wrongs. “Alien: Resurrection” isn’t outright bad or insulting, especially since its practical effects wizardry are easier than ever to appreciate in the digital effects-saturated world of 2024 cinema. However, it’s a perfunctory installment playing the hits audiences expect. It lacks the surprise of “Alien,” the thrilling action of “Alien,” or its own distinctive personality. “Alien: Resurrection” is just a limp movie that desperately needed an extra boost of energy beyond its gnarliest death sequences.
6. Alien 3
Even with its passionate cult fanbase, I still can’t quite board the “Alien 3″ is a classic” train. But I’ll ride on the caboose of that train as someone who appreciates some of its virtues. Director David Fincher demonstrated some solid visual chops in his feature-length directorial debut; there is no question about that. “Alien 3” has a striking atmosphere stemming from its alien planet backdrop chock full of smoke, grime, and grit. A collection of character actors deliver solid work as the various prisoners, while “Alien 3’s” commitment to such a downer ending is extremely commendable. Individual pieces here work; it’s just that as a whole movie, “Alien 3” never quite congeals into something outstanding. Still, enough is intriguing here to make it reasonable why “Alien 3” has attracted devotes.
5. Alien: Romulus
Director Fede Alvarez and cinematographer Galo Olivares deliver some genuinely spectacular imagery all throughout “Alien: Romulus.” Especially impressive is the very precise way lighting creeps into this gloomy world. Every trickle of light feels impactful, given both the darkness the “Alien: Romulus” leads exist in and the ornate cinematography. Grand wide shots of the cosmos also look glorious on an IMAX screen. Unfortunately, that level of visual imagination is not mirrored in the screenplay (penned by Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues), which starts on a great note, focusing on original characters and emphasizing inaccessibility to upward economic mobility as a motivator for the film’s plot. However, midway through “Alien: Romulus,” homages to the original “Alien” films begin pouring in, and they don’t stop. Alvarez has some inspired suspenseful set pieces here (including a great “Don’t Breathe“-esque sequence involving characters trying to walk by face-huggers). Still, his creative instincts keep defaulting to fan service rather than frights. Not only does that element undermine the sociopolitical subtext of “Alien: Romulus,” but it also makes for an ultimately predictable horror movie. Tremendous practical effects and camerawork aren’t enough to save the disappointing “Alien: Romulus,” which only gets increasingly frustrating as it plods along.
4. Alien: Covenant
Another “Alien” movie with an ardent fanbase I’m not entirely on board with. Let’s be clear, though: the homoerotic material between androids David 8 and Walter One (both played by Michael Fassbender) is terrific. Lines like “I’ll do the fingering” have a fun, cheeky quality to them that pleasantly stands out compared to the rest of the franchise. However, the rest of “Alien: Covenant” is too derivative for its own good. After “Prometheus” tried taking the “Alien” saga in new directions, “Alien: Covenant” delivers much more standard fare. Plus, too much of the film employs clumsy CGI or incredibly dim lighting, making watching the proceedings a hassle. Come for the fingering in “Alien: Covenant“; just grit your teeth through the rest.
3. Prometheus
“Prometheus” has ambition to spare, enough to win me over. Its striking production design and ominous atmosphere serve a story initially concerned with the concept of “Who created us?” Even the screenplay eventually collapsing into a sci-fi slasher movie is charming since it evokes classic sci-fi cinema like “Sunshine.” What audacious entry in this genre doesn’t eventually give in to its trashiest impulses? Best of all, the impressive imagery endures the entire runtime, while memorable performances from the likes of Fassbender and Idris Elba are similarly consistent. In its initial release, “Prometheus” was lambasted for not living up to fan expectations. More than a decade since its release, it can be appreciated as a heavily disjointed but also visually scrumptious descent into answers one should never look for in the first place.
2. Aliens
Even in the nascent stages of his filmmaking career, James Cameron was not about to just phone in an assignment like “Aliens.” Rather than do a straightforward imitation of Ridley Scott’s “Alien,” he took that 1979 horror film and injected it full of propulsive action. It was a bold maneuver but also a smart one that gave “Aliens” an identity of its own. Decades later, the thrills of “Aliens” still hit home, as do the striking practical effects work. The Xenomorph’s astonish, but it’s Sigourney Weaver’s performance that really shines. Her surrogate mother dynamic with Newt lends some intriguing pathos to Ripley, but she’s also just so darn cool and compelling as an action star. You get a little bit of everything with Weaver’s performance…no wonder “Aliens” is such a satisfying feature.
1. Alien
Whenever someone asks me what my favorite horror movie is, my two go-to options have been the same for nearly a decade now: it’s either “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” or “Alien.” The original Ellen Ripley adventure is just a superb piece of horror filmmaking and a masterclass of suspense. Its deeply atmospheric world creates an intensely tangible lived-in workspace of realms and unknown horrors of space colliding. That juxtaposition alone creates a fascinating thematic bedrock for the entire movie. Plus, the script is just chock full of mesmerizing set pieces that keep you on the edge of your seat, waiting for brief bursts of Xenomorph mayhem to transpire. “Alien” kicked off the saga with such a profoundly commanding bang. It’s no wonder this feature still resonates nearly 50 years later as the pinnacle of horror cinema.
What do you think of our list? What’s your favorite film in the “Alien” franchise? Have you seen “Alien: Romulus” yet? If so, what did you think? Please let us know in the comments section below or on Next Best Picture’s X account.
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