Every Alien Movie, Ranked

Key Takeaways

• Alien Romulus by Fede Alvarez revitalizes the series with practical effects and intense horror scenes.
• Prometheus expands the Alien lore with The Engineers, dividing opinions but offering complex ideas.
• Aliens, directed by James Cameron, transforms the series into an action-packed classic with the introduction of the Alien Queen.

Few horror franchises have impacted popular culture as much as the Alien series has. Starting in 1979 with Ridley Scott’s seminal sci-fi masterpiece, the series has grown to include numerous film sequels, novels, video games, and comics.

With the recent release of Alien Romulus, the long-running sci-fi horror franchise has moved into its sixth decade. H.R. Giger’s iconic monster remains as terrifying and compelling as it was when it first appeared in the original movie. With the series moving to Disney and the upcoming release of the TV series Alien: Earth, the franchise remains a major part of the horror landscape. While, over the years, the series has dipped in quality, its most recent addition has brought new life to the series, with Fede Alvarez at the helm.

9 Alien Vs Predator: Requiem

An Unoriginal And Unforgettable Entry

• Directed: Colin Strause, Greg Strause
• Released: 2007
• Runtime: 1h 34m

Based on the classic comic series, Alien Vs Predator: Requiem is by far the worst movie in the franchise. The film follows directly on from Alien Vs Predator, with the release of a Xenomorph/Predator Hybrid, stupidly named “Predalien”. After escaping to Earth, the hybrid runs amok in a local town, before a specialist Predator is sent to kill the monster.

Alien Vs Predator: Requiem was panned by critics, who noted its terrible lighting, unoriginal story, and lackluster editing. The film is a true B-Movie that killed off the spin-off series before it had a chance to go anywhere. Alien Vs Predator: Requiem is a forgettable entry into the series and one best left in the bargain bin.

8 Alien Vs Predator

Fails Its Potential

• Directed: Paul W.S Anderson
• Released: 2004
• Runtime: 1h 41m

Based on a popular series of comic books, Alien Vs Predator was a highly anticipated spin-off of two heavy-weight sci-fi franchises. The film follows a team investigating a strange heat signature in the Antarctic ice and who discover an ancient ruin that holds hidden dangers.

The film pits Aliens, Predators, and humans against each other and offers some great Easter eggs for fans of the comics and movies. While the film is mindless fun, it lacks any real depth and doesn’t bring anything new to the setting. With such rich source material available, Alien Vs Predator is a lost chance to bring a beloved comic series to the screen. While it isn’t a terrible film, it is largely forgettable.

7 Alien Resurrection

A Stylish Fourth Installment

• Directed: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
• Released: 1997
• Runtime: 1h 49m

Alien Resurrection was a long-awaited sequel that featured up-and-coming French art-house director Jean-Pierre Jeunet at its helm. With two cult hits under his belt, Delicatessen (1991) and The City of Lost Children (1995), the European director was primed to make a big Hollywood splash with his Alien entry.

Alien Resurrection follows the story of a cloned Ellen Ripley two centuries after her death as scientists attempt to weaponize and control the Aliens. The film offered a lot of style, action, and gore but failed to capture the audience’s imagination. While the film is a solid entry to the series, it struggles to live up to its classic heritage. While this would not be Jeunet’s breakout Hollywood hit, he would later strike gold with the critically acclaimed Amelie (2001).

6 Alien: Covenant

A Solid Entry From the Original Director

• Directed: Ridley Scott
• Released: 2017
• Runtime: 2h 2m

Alien: Covenant continues Ridley Scott’s return to the series that kickstarted his career. Following on from Prometheus (2012), the film revolves around the crew of a colonization ship, the Covenant, which lands on a mysterious planet, only to discover the android, David, is continuing his experiments in creating the perfect organism.

While Alien: Covenant has great performances, stunning cinematography, and heart-pumping action, it never reinvents the wheel. The film does everything right and is a solid entry to the series, but it is largely forgettable against greater movies. While Alien: Covenant fails to rise above the best of the franchise, it remains a must-watch for Alien fans.

5 Alien 3

A Troubled Production

• Directed: David Fincher
• Released: 1992
• Runtime: 1h 54m

While Alien 3 was not the success many hoped for, it remains a unique entry to the series, with its gritty cinematography and bleak, apocalyptic tone. The film continues Ellen Ripley’s story directly after the events of Aliens. Taking a tragic turn, she finds herself on a prison planet alone and surrounded by violent and dangerous criminals.

In his directorial debut, David Fincher was brought in late to the troubled production, which was plagued with numerous rewrites and studio interference. The film received mixed reviews, with critics praising the film’s stylish look and performances. David Fincher would ultimately disown the movie. In 2003, the Assembly Cut of Alien 3 was released without Fincher’s input. This new cut would garner better reviews than the original theatrical release.

4 Prometheus

Expanding The Lore

• Directed: Ridley Scott
• Released: 2012
• Runtime: 2h 4m

In 2012 Ridley Scott returned to the setting that made his career with Prometheus. Set before the events of the first film, Prometheus tells the story of a group of scientists searching for the origins of humanity on a distant planet. The film delves into the lore of the “Space Jockey”, the mysterious Alien skeleton seen in the original film.

Prometheus was highly anticipated, with hype steadily growing until release. While the film could never live up to the high expectations, Prometheus would divide opinions. While it is set in the Alien universe, the film dares to be different. It expands on the lore and introduces a new Alien species named The Engineers. Prometheus is an underrated entry to the series, with great performances, stunning visual effects, and complex ideas explored. While it never reaches the heights of the series’ best, it is a worthy addition to the franchise.

3 Alien Romulus

A Return To Form

• Directed: Fede Alvarez
• Released: 2024
• Runtime: 1h 59m

With Alien Romulus, genre extraordinaire Fede Alvarez brought horror back to the series with his slick and gory entry. The film follows a group of colonists illegally scavenging a derelict space station. They soon discover they are not alone, with terrifying monsters already inhabiting the vessel.

Alien Romulus makes excellent use of practical effects, blending the grime of Alien 3 with the futurism of Prometheus. Fede Alvarez’s horror experience shines through with a pitch-black atmosphere, tense action, and plenty of gore. Alien Romulus breathes new life into the long-running series, setting a new standard for any subsequent movies to follow.

2 Aliens

An Action Classic

• Directed: James Cameron
• Released: 1986
• Runtime: 2h 17m

Where Alien was a claustrophobic nightmare, with a lone monster hunting the crew of the Nostromo, Aliens turns everything up to 11. Coming off the back of his action classic The Terminator (1984), James Cameron scored another hit with his over-the-top action masterpiece. Aliens follows Ellen Ripley as she returns to the planet LV-426 with a group of colonial marines after the colony goes quiet.

Aliens not only dialed the action up but added new lore to the series. It introduced the Alien Queen, expanding the xenomorph species and making them even more terrifying. Aliens is an all-time action classic that holds up as well today as it did on release and cemented James Cameron as one of the top directors in the world.

1 Alien

A Horror Masterpiece

• Directed: Ridley Scott
• Released: 1979
• Runtime: 1h 57m

With an effective marketing campaign leading up to release, with the tagline, In space, no one can hear you scream, Alien burst onto cinema screens and made an immediate impact. The film follows the crew of the Nostromo, who, after reacting to a distress signal coming from an alien ship, are hunted down by a terrifying monster.

Alien made a star of Sigourney Weaver and cemented Ridley Scott as a world-class director. The film shocked audiences with its visceral horror and gritty setting, while its stellar class brought depth and realism to the characters. The film is claustrophobic and tense, with the crew being slowly picked off throughout. Alien was the perfect antidote to the sci-fi spectacle of Star Wars and appealed to a mature sci-fi audience. It is now hailed as an all-time classic and remains as powerful as it was on release.