The Alien franchise has had its fair share of ups and downs, with the first two entries in the franchise being labeled as two of the greatest movies of all time, but the later entries are considered very disappointing and kind of forgettable in comparison. Kicking off the franchise in 1979, Ridley Scott delivered the iconic and terrifying horror movie: Alien. The movie was a huge success both critically and commercially, and it quickly gained a large fan base, which then led to many sequels, novelizations, comic books, video games, and even crossovers with the classic '80s action franchise, Predator.
The franchise has since become one of the biggest franchises in the horror genre due to its cultural impact, critical success, and its huge fan base; not to mention the franchises enormous box office earnings as the second highest-grossing horror franchise (even if it is more sci-fi). A ninth installment of the series, tentatively entitled Alien: Romulus, is currently in production with Fede Álvarez attached to direct and Ridley Scott returning to produce. So, with eight movies and counting, some being great and some being not so great, here's our ranking of all the Alien movies.
Updated March 13th, 2023: If you can't get enough of the thrilling Alien franchise, you'll be happy to know this article has been updated with additional content to keep it fresh and up-to-date.
8 Alien vs Predator: Requiem (2007)
Alien vs Predator: Requiem just had to rank last, with the movie butchering both monsters and ruining everything that had made them so beloved in the first place. The installment is heavily criticized for its disorientating editing and lack of lighting, which makes it very difficult to actually see anything. Although the movie is R-rated unlike its predecessor, this sequel however, leans more into the teen slasher genre instead of a sci-fi horror epic.
Critics and fans slammed the movie for its excessive and mindless violence, and for using the violence as nothing more than shock value. Alien vs Predator: Requiem feels nothing like either franchise, and instead offers a dull and lifeless product more in line with the 2000s reboots of beloved slasher franchises.
7 Alien: Resurrection (1997)
After the commercial and critical failure of Alien 3, fans were hoping for a return to form with the fourth Alien movie. However, due to its troubled production, Alien Resurrection resulted in being the worst installment in the main run of Alien movies.
This is a dark movie, not tonally or thematically, but literally — the color palette and imagery are dim and murky, resulting in a film that isn't pleasing to the human eye. The main saving grace for this movie is Sigourney Weaver's performance as the iconic Ellen Ripley, where she is once again praised for her powerful performance. Ultimately, this movie feels disjointed and doesn't work at all.
6 Alien vs Predator (2004)
Based off the comic books and a video game, Alien vs Predator is an awesome concept which doesn't really deliver on what we all hoped for. While the action and fight scenes between the two horror legends were cool, they still felt somewhat disappointing and failed to genuinely dazzle audiences with the thrills and chills; some declared that the installment was a cynical and obvious ploy at trying to profit off of two franchises which hadn't been successful in more than a decade.
The biggest criticism of this monster mash movie is the PG-13 rating, which put restraints on how terrifying and violent they can make these iconic creatures, but due to these restrictions, the Xenomorphs and the Predators were not as scary as we know them to be and ultimately fell flat.
5 Alien 3 (1992)
It is very difficult to follow two of the greatest movies of all time, and sadly Alien 3 doesn't succeed, and lacks everything that made us love the first two installments. Alien 3 was another entry in the Alien franchise which had a troubled production, running first-time director David Fincher into the ground, which resulted in a final product that wasn't true to Fincher's original vision and reeked of studio interference.
From rotating directors and screenwriters to an unfinished script, and constant studio meddling, the film hardly stood a chance to truly leave its mark within the enduring franchise; Fincher himself has since disowned the film and his involvement. Alien 3 has more recently become somewhat of a cult classic, with many fans looking beyond its many faults and praising Weaver's performance, as well as glimpses of Fincher's visual style scattered all over the movie.
4 Prometheus (2012)
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Prometheus may be the most divisive movie in the franchise, with many fans claiming it to be a brilliant return to form, and others calling it out for being an overly complicated mess that makes no sense. The movie is heavily criticized for its exceedingly confusing plot elements that don't really add up to anything. However, Prometheus is praised for its visual aesthetic and design, with every shot giving the audience a sense of wonder and intrigue.
Everyone can agree that the cast is phenomenal in this movie, with Michael Fassbender gaining critical praise for his role as the android, David. Additionally, the A-list cast of Idris Elba, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, and Noomi Rapace all give exceptional performances.
3 Alien: Covenant (2017)
Picking up on the divisiveness of Prometheus, director Ridley Scott continued to explore the franchise in new directions that infuriated many and amazed others. The latest installment in the franchise is considered a "greatest hits" of the Alien movies, with the film not really adding anything new to the franchise but delivering an intriguing and suspenseful sci-fi horror epic, with some awesome action set pieces.
Much like Prometheus, Alien: Covenant is praised for its visuals, with Ridley Scott delivering another visual spectacle. Michael Fassbender yet again steals the show as the android David, delivering an intriguing, heartfelt, terrifying, and uneasy performance that was praised by fans and critics alike. Why this movie is higher than Prometheus, is because Covenant drops all the complicated, confusing, and boring plot elements from the previous installment and instead offers a tighter and more engaging story.
2 Aliens (1986)
Hailed as one of the best action movies of the '80s, James Cameron delivered an action-packed sci-fi masterpiece here, a blend of genres he'd replicate very differently with Avatar. Leaning away from the horror elements of the first installment, Aliens instead offers a rollercoaster thrill ride of guns and guts. James Cameron has cemented himself as a master action movie director, with Aliens being among his best work.
Leaving plenty of time for character development, making us care for a rag tag team of soldiers, and also leaving a lot of room for non-stop action for the final half of the movie. Sigourney Weaver proves herself yet again as the coolest heroine in cinematic history, giving us a compelling performance, and making audiences believe that Ellen Ripley is truly a heroine not to mess with.
1 Alien (1979)
As the movie that kicked off the iconic franchise, Alien is one of the best science fiction movies ever put to screen, and is still admired today as pure art. Ridley Scott delivers a masterclass in suspense, with the slow pace, sound design, lack of lighting, and tight spaces all culminating in one of the scariest and most suspenseful movies ever made. The crushing isolation of space makes the audience feel claustrophobic, only adding to the fear and dread of the film. This movie succeeds in already being frightening and suspenseful long before we are introduced to the truly terrifying Xenomorph. The film is lauded by feministic film theorists and cinephiles alike for its groundbreaking subversion of horror tropes. As Reece Taylor writes for CBR:
The Xenomorph's exaggerated design and killing methods were purposely designed to be phallic. The alien's elongated head and lack of eyes were made with the intention of resembling a man's reproductive organs, which adds a sense of unease to its appearance. The piercing second mouth that punched through skulls along with the spear-tipped tail was designed to kill by penetration, which exacerbates the idea of intrusion into a person. Add the creature's design to an extremely hostile temperament, and it represents an overly aggressive person that exists to prey on others.
A phallic alien hunting a woman that's wearing something that makes her feel vulnerable is uncomfortable, but seeing the same woman kill the Xenomorph is more rewarding because she's destroying the symbol of rape. What makes this ending better is that regardless of what Ripley's wearing, she is by no means helpless.
Alien is one of the most revolutionary and influential films in cinema history, with every scene in this sci-fi epic being poured over and studied for its meaning. The movie was beloved and iconic, kick-starting a hugely successful franchise, being a perfect example of suspense, and is still admired today as pure art.