'Alien' Movies, Ranked from Worst to Best
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We're learning more and more about the upcoming Hulu TV series "Alien: Earth - not to mention news of a follow-up to "Alien: Romulus" in development. We thought it was about time to go back and offer up our opinions of how to rank the "Alien" films.
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Not counting the "Alien Vs. Predator" entries since they're non-canonical to either franchise, here's our choices for the "Alien" movies from worst to best.
7. 'Alien Resurrection' (1997)
"Alien Resurrection"
"Alien Resurrection"
20th Century Studios
It's as if someone at the studio challenged the filmmakers to somehow make an "Alien" movie that felt more goofy than scary, and everyone rose to the challenge. There are some fun parts of "Alien Resurrection", but nothing saves it; particularly not the grotesque alien/human hybrid that Sigourney Weaver's Ripley clone treats like a lost puppy.
6. 'Alien: Covenant' (2017)
"Alien: Covenant"
"Alien: Covenant"
20th Century Studios
Ridley Scott's "Alien" prequel trilogy never got finished, and when you see "Alien: Covenant", the second part of the unfinished trilogy, not only do you realize why, but you don't feel any kind of regret for the absence. As a standalone "Alien" film, "Covenant" is exceptionally okay. But it didn't bring enough new sauce to the recipe to justify another go-around.
5. 'Prometheus' (2012)
"Prometheus"
"Prometheus"
20th Century Studios
What do you do when you want to launch a research expedition to another part of the galaxy that will take an enormous amount of time and resources? Well, apparently, you find the absolute dumbest group of scientists in the history of mankind and pay them a ton of money to make the kinds of mistakes you would expect them to avoid, even if they were drunk enough to pass out any minute.
4. 'Alien 3' (1992)
"Alien 3"
"Alien 3"
20th Century Studios
There's a lot to like about "Alien 3" in spite of its flaws. After the action-heavy "Aliens", it managed to recapture the creeping horror of "Alien". But many fans will never forgive the sin of killing off Hudson and Newt during the opening credits, and they shouldn't.
3. 'Alien: Romulus' (2024)
"Alien: Romulus"
"Alien: Romulus"
20th Century Studios
Fede Alvarez struck gold with this bloody standalone. It made a huge misstep in its digital "resurrection" of Ian Holm, but otherwise manages to deliver the best entry in the series we've seen in the 21st century.
2. 'Aliens' (1986)
"Aliens"
"Aliens"
20th Century Studios
"Aliens" is, in many ways, the perfect example of how to make a sequel. It takes the look, the feel, and the mythology established in the first film and builds solidly upon it without forgetting anything. It isn't quite as scary as its predecessor, but it makes up for the toned-down horror with a fun layer of action.
1. 'Alien' (1979)
"Alien"
"Alien"
20th Century Studios
"Alien" remains the gold standard in the franchise. With practical special effects that still stand up today, "Alien" is still the most terrifying film in the franchise. We wouldn't go so far as to say it's worthless to keep making movies, but it's doubtful anyone will make one as scary as Ridley Scott's modern classic.
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USA Today
6 minutes ago
- USA Today
'Alien: Earth' series asks: Which is scarier, a giant xenomorph or rogue AI?
Nobody pleaded that "Fargo," that 1996 cinematic gem from Joel and Ethan Coen, should be made into a TV series. And yet writer and director Noah Hawley has (so far) delivered five seasons and an award-winning hit, against steep odds. Now, Hawley is looking to smash another adaptation pitch into the bleachers with FX's "Alien: Earth" (streaming weekly starting Aug. 12 on Hulu), based on Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi opus that spawned eight movie sequels and prequels. So do we really need eight small-screen episodes – and possibly more, in future seasons - of multi-jawed monsters terrifying people in claustrophobic spaceships? No we don't. But, as actor Timothy Olyphant says, those fears are unfounded. "I started sleeping well the moment I heard Noah ask, 'If you take away the monster, what is the show?' He knew you couldn't lean on that little guy popping out of people's chests week after week." Review: FX's 'Alien Earth' is everything 'Alien' fans could want Hawley sums up his challenge simply. "It was in essence the same approach I had with 'Fargo,'" he says. "I tried to just figure out, what's the feeling I had when I watched that first 'Alien' movie, and how do I create the same emotions by telling you a different story?" What Hawley has crafted is part futuristic fright-fest, part timely allegory. The terrifying Xenomorph, created by Swiss artist H.R. Giger, very much appears, but almost in a cameo role. The focus instead is on Earth, which is now ruled by a handful of powerful tech companies each vying to create the dominant AI future. Sound familiar? While some of the companies are pushing for advancements in cyborg technology, others have banked on the rise of synths, or synthetic humans. Olyphant plays an unusually cagey synth named Kirsh who works for genius tech whiz Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin), whose Prodigy Corporation is on to something revolutionary: infusing the human consciousness of dying children into artificial robotic bodies. The offbeat inspiration for Noah Hawley's 'Alien: Earth'? J.M. Barrie's 'Peter Pan' It gets heavier from there. The ailing children chosen for this journey reflect Kavalier's obsession with J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan." The kids' new-body names – Slightly, Tootles, Smee, Curly and Nibs – echo the Lost Boys from the famous 1904 book, which Kavalier reads from obsessively. And they are led by a fearless Wendy, played with wide-eyed wonder by Sydney Chandler. "Noah is taking some really big swings here, and that's great, because Ridley was the first person to say, 'What more can you really do with that (Xenomorph) creature?'" says David Zucker, chief creative officer for the director's production company Scott Free. "Ridley's feeling about doing this series was the same thing he stressed when they wanted to do a sequel to 'Blade Runner,' which is, this show has to have a reason for being," says Zucker, adding that the British director was not directly involved in the new TV series. "He's not really interested in revisiting things he's done before. But what excited him about this is that while it honored the aesthetic of the original, it took a very original approach." The story of these Neverland kids, who are pressed into dangerous service for Prodigy as they navigate the transition into their adult synthetic bodies, is indeed a new twist, one that asks big questions but also provides ample laughs as we watch adult actors behaving like preteens. It's a welcome break from those jump-scare jabs. "To me, the show is in part about how we are raising our children today. What morals are we giving them? Where are the real adults?" Hawley says. For Chandler, "jumping back into the mind of my younger self was amazing," says the avowed sci-fi and "Alien" fan, whose father is actor Kyle Chandler. "That feeling of bravery and honesty. Playing a kid in a synthetic body in a future world with aliens was a scary challenge, but one I was ready for." 'Alien: Earth' features massive sets built partly off the blueprints of the original Ridley Scott movie 'Alien' Helping Chandler get into character were massive sets "that I would always get lost on" and a frightening 9-foot-tall Xenomorph suit worn by a "sweet man named Cameron, who when he put that on and chased you, it was genuinely scary," she says. To enhance the horror and appeal to "Alien" fans, Hawley coordinated with Ridley Scott to get the blueprints for the set of the original ship, the USCSS Nostromo, to create the research vessel that, through a series of deadly mistakes, winds up plummeting out of orbit and plowing into buildings on Earth. "The cryochamber in our ship is a bit bigger than Ridley's, but otherwise the bridge is the same," he says. "It was fun to see the actors react to being there on set. It was like they had stepped into the movie of their childhood." Whenever possible, Hawley used old-fashioned costume-based special effects, resorting only when necessary to digital magic created by New Zealand-based masters Wētā FX. Monsters may scurry around 'Alien: Earth,' but Noah Hawley suggests the really terrifying characters might be human beings Hawley says preserving the sheer horror of the original films was integral to his project, and as viewers will see, the Xenomorph eventually gets some creepy friends. But even more chilling was the prospect of ceding control of Earth to machines of our own creation. Although "Alien: Earth" was written "before ChatGPT was even launched," Hawley says, he's surprised and grateful the series is landing when the debate about the oversight of AI is gathering steam. "The show is about humanity being trapped between its monster past when we all were just food and its AI future, and in both cases something's out to kill us," he says. "So it's important to talk about it. Is AI the next step in our evolution, or will it be the end of humanity? Are we going down the road of (Elon Musk's company) Neuralink, where technology will be added to our bodies, or are we going beyond that to a place where we will all be transhuman? "It's just amazing how fast things have progressed just since I started writing this show back in 2020." For Olyphant, who played to type as a U.S. marshal in Season 4 of Hawley's "Fargo," the chance to work with the writer/director again, on a project focused on big-picture ideas about our unsettling human future, proved irresistible. "Ultimately, in 'Alien: Earth' Noah is writing about what we're dealing with right now. It's this pursuit of living forever, of taking great technology but just trying to monetize it, of being willing to manipulate the lives of children for profit," he says. "And it's about this distrust of AI, this thing that is not human, and my character more than others encapsulates this issue. There are so many 'Alien' franchise diehards out there, so I can't wait to see who comes along on our trip."
USA Today
6 minutes ago
- USA Today
When does 'Alien: Earth' Season 1 come out? Premiere date, cast, how to watch
Enthusiasts of the horror of the Alien movies are set to get a new fix in the shape of a new TV series, Alien: Earth, with the show set to make its debut on Tuesday, Aug. 12. Set in the year 2120, two years before the original Alien movie and 16 years after the events of Alien: Covenant, the show explores the aftermath of the deep space research vessel USCSS Maginot's crash-landing on Earth. ''Wendy' (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet's greatest threat in FX's Alien: Earth,' the show's description says. Here's what to know about Season 1 of "Alien: Earth," including the release date, episode schedule, and cast. When does 'Alien: Earth' Season 1 premiere? The first two episodes of Season 1 of "Alien: Earth" will premiere on FX on Tuesday, Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. ET. At the same time, the two episodes will be released on Hulu. Following Tuesday's double episode premiere, new episodes will come out every Tuesday through mid-September. How to watch 'Alien: Earth' Season 1 The first two episodes of Season 1 of "Alien: Earth" will premiere on Hulu on Tuesday, Aug. 12. The least-expensive plan (which requires watching commercials) is $9.99 per month (or $99.99/year), and it provides access to Hulu's ad-supported streaming library. Students can get that plan for $1.99 per month, if eligible. You can get a free trial of Hulu, but you do need to sign up and submit payment details. (You won't be charged until the end of your trial period – the trial length is different depending on the subscription tier you choose.) Other subscription options include Hulu bundled with Disney+, which costs $10.99 (with ads). Bundled with Disney+ and ESPN+, the cost is $16.99 (with ads) or $19.99 (without ads). For more plans and prices, visit the Hulu website. When is the 'Alien: Earth' Season 1 episode release? Here is the full list of release dates for Season 1 episodes of "Alien: Earth:" 'Alien: Earth' Season 1 cast Starring Sydney Chandler as Wendy, the cast of 'Alien: Earth' is a sizable one, featuring a long list of characters in the first season of the show. Here's the cast for Season 1: Watch the 'Alien: Earth' Season 1 trailer Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage.
Forbes
7 minutes ago
- Forbes
‘Alien: Earth' Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
The Alien prequel series Alien: Earth is now available on streaming and cable on Hulu and FX. When will new episodes of the sci-fi horror series be available? The Alien franchise, of course, kicked off in 1979 with director Ridley Scott's Alien, which introduced movie audiences to Sigourney Weaver's iconic character Ellen Ripley. Now, 46 years after the release of the landmark sci-fi horror movie with the classic tagline, 'In space no one can hear you scream,' comes Alien: Earth from creator Noah Hawley (Fargo). The official summary for Alien: Earth reads, 'In the year 2120, the Earth is governed by five corporations: Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic and Threshold. In this Corporate Era, cyborgs (humans with both biological and artificial parts) and synthetics (humanoid robots with artificial intelligence) exist alongside humans. 'But the game is changed when the wunderkind Founder and CEO of Prodigy Corporation unlocks a new technological advancement: hybrids (humanoid robots infused with human consciousness). The first hybrid prototype named 'Wendy' marks a new dawn in the race for immortality. After Weyland-Yutani's spaceship collides into Prodigy City, Wendy and the other hybrids encounter mysterious life forms more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined.' Alien: Earth stars Sydney Chandler as Wendy, the first synthetic hybrid to be given a human consciousness, while Timothy Olyphant plays Kirsh, a synthetic charged with training the first group of hybrids. Alex Lawther also stars as Wendy's brother, Hermit. The first two episodes of Alien: Earth premiered simultaneously on FX on cable and streaming on Hulu on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Alien: Earth consists of eight episodes overall, which will air and stream weekly at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Episode 1, titled Neverland and Episode 2, titled Mr. October are available on FX and Hulu now, with one new episode being released weekly. Listed below is the full release schedule, including Episodes 1 and 2. Episode 1: Aug. 12 – Neverland Episode 2: Aug. 12 – Mr. October Episode 3: Aug. 19 – Metamorphosis Episode 4: Aug. 26 – Observation Episode 5: Sept. 2 – Emergence Episode 6: Sept. 9 – The Fly Episode 7: Sept. 16 – In Space, No One … Episode 8: Sept. 23 – The Real Monsters Hulu offers ad-based packages for $9.99 per month and an ad-free package costs $18.99 per month. The streaming service also offers an ad-based bundling package with Disney+ and Max for $16.99 per month and an ad-free package for $29.99 per month. How Are Rotten Tomatoes Critics Reacting To 'Alien: Earth'? As of Tuesday, Rotten Tomatoes critics have collectively given Alien: Earth a 94% 'fresh' rating based on 66 reviews. The RT Critics Consensus reads, 'Stylistically bold and scary as hell, Noah Hawley's Alien: Earth transplants the Xenomorph mythos into the television medium with its cinematic grandeur intact while staking out a unique identity of its own.' The audience summary and score on RT's Popcornmeter based on verified user ratings is still pending. Also starring Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, Adrian Edmondson, David Rysdahl, Essie Davis, Lily Newmark, Erana James, Adarsh Gourav, Jonathan Ajayi, Kit Young, Diêm Camille, Moe Bar-El and Sandra Yi Sencindiver, Alien: Earth is new on FX on cable and Hulu on streaming.
