Alien Movies Ranked

In Space, No One Cares How You Rank

This past week, I binged all the Alien films (AVP films do not count) in preparation for Alien: Romulus, and it was an absolute joy. Each of these films is different from the others and has its strengths and weaknesses, but all at least present new ideas. My hottest take is that there's no bad film in the series, and they all have their merits! So let's take a look, starting with:

7. Alien: Resurection

From the director of the Tumblr hit Amélie, we have the most dumb-fun 90s sci-fi movies of all time. Set hundreds of years after Alien 3, we have quirky space bandits written by Joss Whedon, a cloned Ripley that's an entirely physically enhanced psycho, and a half-alien half-human hybrid that I either want to set on fire or might be the most sympathetic character in the series. It's a rather batshit insane film, but I adore it. Alien: Resurrection falls into the delicious garbage category as Joss Whedon's quippy comedy is masked over by these actors taking it entirely seriously. The film's tone is unique in that it manages to be both serious and humorous simultaneously, a balance not often seen in the series. It also features a sick underwater sequence and Ripley dunks on Hellboy.

Final Score: 6.5/10

6. Alien: Romulus

Alien: Romulus is a visual and auditory marvel. Its stunning visuals, production, and sound design, as well as the immersive atmosphere it creates, are undeniable. The corporate planet setting is a stroke of genius. The performances of Cailee Spainey and David Jonsson are spellbinding, and their relationship is deeply engaging. The Alien and face-huggers have never been more thrilling and terrifying. However, its drawbacks are the film's overreliance on callbacks and the distracting CGI necromancy. Despite these, it's a compelling watch!

Final Score: 7/10

5. Alien 3

We used to be a proper country where, in the first 10 minutes of a film, we had Tywin Lannister performing brutal autopsies on a child. Welcome to hell, better known as David Fincher's Alien 3. This nightmare of a film features Ripley trapped on a prison planet filled with murderers and rapists while an Alien runs around tearing inmates to pieces. The atmosphere is bleak, and I love how gorgeous this nihilistic nightmare looks. We have prison-industrial planets, religious cults, and a movie about redemption and letting go, too, possibly absolutely wild. However, there are some instances of bad CGI, particularly in the Alien's movements, and the dialogue can sometimes be a bit cheesy. Fincher hates this film more than anyone, but I love it.

Final Score: 7.5/10

4. Alien: Covenant

Remember when Danny McBride was a space cowboy? Yeah, that was cool, and so was Alien Covenant! This and Alien 3 are the darkest in the series, and for good reason. A group of colonists land on a planet searching for hope, only ravaged by creatures created by something they've made. It's a miserable parable that's biblical in scale. Ridley Scott popped the fuck off with this one and let Michael Fassbender cook allowing his character David to go to dark places never seen in the series before. It's a super melancholy, gorgeous film that sets James Franco on fire in the first 5 minutes, which bumps the score.

Final Score: 8.5/10

3. Prometheus

What if I sought out my creator, and it turned out he fucking hated me? Ridley Scott not only expanded on his existential themes from Alien but took them to new heights. Prometheus is visually stunning, almost like a meditative nightmare to experience. We have large, wild set pieces, claustrophobic body horror, and possibly the best alien breach scene in the series. The film questions everything we could have thought the Alien series could take us, and it's a masterpiece. I am left in complete aw every time.

Final Score: 9/10

2. Aliens

Big Jim!!! It's the most fantastic sci-fi action film of all time. James Cameron expands on the alien universe in exciting ways, taking a deeper look into corporate greed and the military-industrial complex while delivering some of the most iconic action put to film. The Marines are fantastic and hilarious, especially Bill Paxton (GAME OVER MAN, GAME OVER); Ripley becomes an empathetic mother figure and has the badass showdown with the Alien queen, and Jonesy the cat returns. Throw in some incredible direction, visually stunning shots, and effects that have aged wonderfully, and you have a banger of a film.

Final Score: 9.5/10

1. Alien

It's not just the perfect horror movie but perfect in every way the medium of film can express itself. There's nothing like Alien. From its iconic atmosphere, chest-bursting scene, naturalist-style dialogue with blue-collar workers at the center of the film, and the unreal design of the original Alien, it's just incredible from start to finish. Ridley Scott's depression that Star Wars was so perfect led to maybe the best-depressed piece of work ever made. It's much more than just Jaws in Space. It's a psycho-sexual exploration of women's body autonomy and assault. It's an existential look at creation and a mixture of technology and modernity. It's Alien, and it's a perfect film.

Final Score: 10/10

Thank you for reading and letting me gush about a series I love. Please let me know in the comments where I goofed with my rankings!

Written by: Kevin J. Pettit