When it comes to sci-fi horror, few franchises are as iconic as Alien. Since the original film burst onto screens in 1979, these movies have been thrilling audiences with their mix of suspense, action, and terrifying extraterrestrial creatures. But with 8 films spanning over 4 decades, not all Alien movies are created equal.
In this ultimate ranking, we’ll dive deep into each film in the franchise, from the very worst to the absolute best. We’ll explore what worked, what didn’t, and why each movie earned its place on this list. Whether you’re a die-hard Alien fan or a curious newcomer to the series, this post has something for you. So strap in, grab your motion tracker, and let’s count down the Alien films from worst to best!
8. Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Coming in dead last is the abysmal Alien vs. Predator: Requiem. This movie had the potential to be a fun, action-packed romp pitting two of cinema’s most iconic monsters against each other. Instead, it’s a muddled, poorly-lit mess that squanders its premise.
The story follows a small town caught in the crossfire of the Alien/Predator conflict after a crashed Predator ship unleashes hordes of Xenomorphs. A lone Predator must contain the outbreak with the help of a ragtag group of human survivors.
Where Requiem really falls apart is its execution. The lighting is so dark that it’s often impossible to tell what’s happening on screen during the many (supposedly) epic battle sequences. Character development is nonexistent, with most of the human cast serving as little more than Xenomorph fodder. The film also features some bafflingly bad decisions from its characters that feel contrived just to move the plot along.
Even the Alien and Predator designs feel off, with the creatures coming across as cheap imitations rather than the awe-inspiring monsters we know and love. Requiem ultimately fails as both an Alien movie and a Predator movie, offering nothing but cheap fan service. It’s no wonder this entry is widely regarded as the worst of the Alien franchise.
7. Alien: Resurrection (1997)
The fourth entry in the main Alien series, Alien: Resurrection, is a strange beast. Set 200 years after Alien 3, the film brings Ripley back as a human/Alien hybrid clone created by military scientists attempting to weaponize the Xenomorphs. When the creatures inevitably escape, Ripley teams up with a ragtag group of space mercenaries to stop them.
Resurrection deserves some credit for trying to take the franchise in a bold new direction. The idea of a cloned Ripley grappling with her new Alien DNA is intriguing, and Sigourney Weaver clearly has fun portraying a darker, morally ambiguous version of the character.
However, the execution is lacking. The tone veers wildly from grim horror to campy dark comedy, with director Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s quirky sensibilities not always meshing with the Alien universe. The supporting characters are thinly sketched caricatures, and the plot often feels aimless and meandering.
The Alien designs are also a mixed bag, with some interesting new variations but an overreliance on CGI that hasn’t aged well. While Resurrection has its moments, it ultimately feels like a misguided attempt to reinvent the wheel, resulting in a tonally confused, unsatisfying entry in the franchise.
6. Alien 3 (1992)
Alien 3 had the unenviable task of following up James Cameron’s action classic Aliens. Unfortunately, the troubled production, which saw rookie director David Fincher clash with studio executives, resulted in a film that disappointed many fans.
The story finds Ripley crash-landing on a bleak prison planet, where she discovers an Alien has hitched a ride with her. As the creature begins picking off the all-male group of convicts and guards, Ripley must find a way to destroy it before a rescue ship arrives.
Alien 3’s biggest sin is undoing much of the goodwill earned by Aliens. The unceremonious off-screen deaths of beloved characters like Newt and Hicks feel like a slap in the face to invested fans. The dreary, oppressively dark tone also becomes exhausting, lacking the moments of levity or triumph that made the first two films so enjoyable.
That said, Alien 3 isn’t without merit. Sigourney Weaver delivers another powerhouse performance as Ripley, and Charles S. Dutton is memorable as the religious inmate Dillon. Fincher’s directorial eye shines through in some visually striking sequences, hinting at the talent he would later display in films like Seven and Fight Club.
The Assembly Cut, a extended version of the film that restores many of Fincher’s original ideas, is also a notable improvement over the theatrical cut. While still flawed, it offers a more cohesive and satisfying experience. Ultimately, Alien 3 is a missed opportunity, but one with glimmers of greatness amidst the disappointment.
5. Prometheus (2012)
After a two-decade absence, original Alien director Ridley Scott returned to the franchise with Prometheus, a prequel exploring the origins of the Xenomorphs. The film follows a team of scientists who discover a star map they believe will lead them to humanity’s creators. What they find instead are the seeds of our destruction.
Prometheus is a gorgeous film, with breathtaking visuals and production design that stand among the best in the series. Michael Fassbender is also a standout as David, an android with unclear motivations and a chilling curiosity about the Aliens.
However, the script is a bit of a mess, posing big questions about the nature of creation and human origins but failing to deliver satisfying answers. Many of the characters make frustratingly illogical decisions, and the connection to the Alien mythos feels tenuous at times.
Still, there’s a lot to admire in Prometheus. The body horror sequences are viscerally effective, and the film’s themes of hubris and the danger of seeking knowledge are thought-provoking, even if not fully developed. It may not be a perfect Alien movie, but it’s an ambitious and visually stunning sci-fi epic that’s worth watching for its big ideas and memorable moments.
4. Alien: Covenant (2017)
Alien: Covenant, a sequel to Prometheus, attempts to bridge the gap between that film and the original Alien. Set 10 years after Prometheus, it follows the crew of the colony ship Covenant as they discover what appears to be an untouched paradise world. Of course, it’s actually a nightmare realm home to David, the sinister android from Prometheus, and his twisted experiments.
Covenant is at its best when it’s being a straight-up Alien movie, with plenty of suspenseful stalking scenes and gory Xenomorph kills. The film’s second half, in particular, is a white-knuckle thrill ride that recaptures some of the intensity of the original film.
However, the philosophical musings on creation and the nature of life that worked (to an extent) in Prometheus feel shoehorned in here. The film seems torn between wanting to be a heady sci-fi drama and a back-to-basics creature feature, and it doesn’t fully succeed at either.
That said, Michael Fassbender is once again excellent as both the sinister David and the more innocent Walter, a newer android model. The interplay between his two characters is fascinating to watch. While Covenant may not reach the heights of the best Alien films, it’s a solid entry that delivers on scares and spectacle.
3. Alien: Romulus (2024)
The newest entry in the franchise, Alien: Romulus, is set between the events of Alien and Aliens. It follows a group of colonists on a remote space station who discover a derelict ship containing Xenomorph eggs. As the creatures begin to run amok, the colonists must fight for survival.
Romulus succeeds by going back to the basics of what made the original Alien so effective: a tight, claustrophobic setting, a cast of relatable blue-collar characters, and a sense of escalating dread as the Xenomorph threat grows. Director Fede Alvarez, known for his work on intense horror films like Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe, brings a gritty, visceral style to the proceedings.
The film also benefits from strong performances across the board, with standouts including lead actress Cailee Spaeny as the tough, resourceful engineer Samantha and Jovan Adepo as the station’s weary security chief. The characters feel like real people, making their fates all the more impactful.
While Romulus doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it delivers a satisfying, back-to-basics Alien experience. The creature effects are top-notch, with a mix of practical and CGI work that feels true to the series’ roots. It’s a tense, brutal film that proves there’s still life in this decades-old franchise.
2. Aliens (1986)
How do you follow up one of the greatest sci-fi horror films ever made? If you’re James Cameron, you make one of the greatest sci-fi action films ever made. Aliens picks up 57 years after the original, with Ripley awakening from hypersleep to find that the moon where she first encountered the Xenomorph is now home to a human colony. When contact with the colony is lost, Ripley joins a squad of space marines to investigate, leading to an all-out war against hordes of Aliens.
Aliens is a masterclass in escalation, taking the intimate horror of the first film and exploding it out into a large-scale action spectacle. Cameron’s direction is kinetic and relentless, barely giving the audience a moment to breathe once the action kicks into high gear.
But Aliens isn’t just a mindless shoot-em-up. It also deepens Ripley’s character, exploring her trauma from the first film and giving her a new surrogate family to protect in the form of the young survivor Newt and the loyal Corporal Hicks. Sigourney Weaver’s performance is a powerhouse, running the gamut from vulnerability to steely determination to maternal rage.
The supporting cast is also excellent, with standouts like Bill Paxton as the wisecracking Private Hudson and Lance Henriksen as the enigmatic android Bishop. And of course, there’s the Alien Queen, one of cinema’s most iconic monsters, brought to terrifying life through a combination of practical effects and early CGI.
Aliens is a near-perfect sequel, honoring the original while taking the story in a thrilling new direction. It’s a film that proves action and character development can go hand-in-hand, and it set a new standard for what an Alien movie could be.
1. Alien (1979)
Could the top spot on this list have gone to anything else? Ridley Scott’s original Alien isn’t just a great Alien movie, it’s one of the greatest films ever made, period. A perfect blend of sci-fi, horror, and blue-collar drama, Alien follows the crew of the space tug Nostromo as they investigate a distress signal on a desolate planet, leading to a deadly encounter with a vicious extraterrestrial creature.
What makes Alien so effective is its simplicity. The setup is basic: a group of working-class characters in a confined space, being picked off one by one by an unstoppable monster. But it’s executed with such skill and craftsmanship that it becomes a masterpiece of tension and terror.
The design work, from the lived-in feel of the Nostromo to the biomechanical nightmare of the Xenomorph itself, is unparalleled. H.R. Giger’s creature design is the stuff of primal nightmares, a perfect blend of the familiar and the utterly alien. And the iconic chestburster scene remains one of the most shocking and effective scares in cinema history.
But Alien is more than just a collection of memorable scares. It’s also a character-driven drama, with each member of the Nostromo crew feeling like a fully-realized person. Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley, in particular, is a revelation, a tough, intelligent, and resourceful protagonist who became an instant icon and set a new standard for female representation in genre films.
Alien’s influence can be felt in virtually every sci-fi horror film that followed, but none have managed to capture its perfect blend of atmosphere, character, and primal fear. It’s a film that feels as fresh and terrifying today as it did over 40 years ago, a true classic that stands at the pinnacle of its genre. In the Alien franchise, there’s Alien, and then there’s everything else.
So there you have it, the definitive ranking of the Alien movies. Whether you agree or disagree with this list, there’s no denying the impact and enduring legacy of this franchise. From the claustrophobic horror of the original to the action-packed intensity of Aliens to the bold new direction of Prometheus, these films have left an indelible mark on the landscape of sci-fi cinema.
The Alien series has had its ups and downs over the decades, but it remains a vital and exciting franchise, one that continues to inspire new generations of filmmakers and thrill audiences around the world. With the success of Alien: Romulus, it’s clear that there are still plenty of stories left to tell in this universe, and we can’t wait to see where the series goes next. Until then, we’ll keep revisiting these classic films, marveling at their craftsmanship, and jumping at their perfectly-timed scares. Because in the end, that’s what the Alien movies are all about: the thrill of the unknown, the terror of the unstoppable, and the enduring power of great storytelling.
