Alien
During its return to the earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. When a three-member team of the crew discovers a chamber containing thousands of eggs on the planet, a creature inside one of the eggs attacks an explorer. The entire crew is unaware of the impending nightmare set to descend upon them when the alien parasite planted inside its unfortunate host is birthed.
May 25, 1979 · Directed by Ridley Scott
What's been said
Viewers and critics have long regarded Alien as a landmark of both horror and science fiction, with the film earning a 93% Tomatometer score from critics and a 94% Popcornmeter score from over 250,000 audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, reflecting near-universal acclaim across both camps. The most praised elements are Scott's slow-burn atmosphere and practical creature design: reviewers consistently highlight the xenomorph's H.R. Giger-conceived look, Jerry Goldsmith's understated score, and Sigourney Weaver's breakthrough performance as Ripley as the film's greatest strengths. The most recurring complaint, voiced by a minority of critics and some first-time viewers, is the film's deliberately slow, deliberate pacing in its opening act, with one Metacritic critic dismissing it as "an empty-headed horror movie" and audience members noting that the film's tension-first approach can disappoint those expecting wall-to-wall action. A notable detail: at its original 1979 release the film drew some mixed critical notices and underwhelmed at the U.S. box office, only cementing its classic status over subsequent decades of reappraisal and re-releases.
Will you actually like it?
Answer a few quick questions and we'll predict how much you'll like this movie, not whether critics did. Each one targets something this film specifically leans into, where viewers tend to split. We think these are the questions that will best help predict how well it will align with you.
Where to watch
Trailer
