All 8 Alien movies ranked from worst to best

1. Alien

The one that started it all is undoubtedly the best of the franchise. How could it not be? Alien started a pop culture phenomenon and was a very welcome addition to the horror/sci-fi genre for viewers. The movie was released in 1979 and was directed by Ridley Scott. In addition to Weaver, the cast of Alien includes Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, and Ian Holm.

Some of the movie’s best moments showcase its convincing tense tone, creepy sense of suspense, and awesome visual effects. These include the face-hugger attack moment, the chest-burster scene, and Ripley’s final confrontation with the Xenomorph. There are so many good things about Alien! It does a fantastic job blending the horror and sci-fi genres together, a combination that’s still underutilized in cinema.

With Alien‘s haunting atmosphere, unforgettable creature designs, and edge-of-your-seat tension, the movie has cemented its place as a timeless masterpiece within the two genres. If you haven’t seen it, what are you waiting for?!

Of course, Alien was good enough that it spawned several sequels, all of which in the main series are solid movies. It’s rare for a franchise that’s gone on for this long to have so many good additions, and it’s not over just yet.

At the time of this writing, there are two new Alien movies reported to be in the works. It’s believed Scott is returning for another prequel movie, and Fede Álvarez is working on a standalone installment. There’s also an Alien TV show in development for FX on Hulu, though there’s no confirmed release date. There’s no telling how these new additions will stack up compared to the movies on this list, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed they’re worth watching.