In space no one can hear you scream.
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.
- Body horror
- Graphic violence
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Character
Earnest, grave, intimate and bleak.
- earnestironic
- gravecomic
- intimateepic
- warmbleak
- classical in formformally daring
Who loves it, who doesn't
146 profiled raters. Loved most by The Prestige Hunters; disliked most by The Thrill Chasers.
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“Is this Ridley Scott's best work?”
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“Would a little humor have helped?”
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“Is it the best horror film of its decade?”
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A yes-or-no question, answered from what people wrote here, on TMDB and on Wikipedia. Never made up.
Video reviews
From critics we follow, and from curators here.
This Predator: Badlands Trailer Detail Caught Our EYE #predatorbadlands #alien #predator
/Film · Apr 2025
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Curator Co.'s numbers.
- Patrick E. Abeon TMDB · Sep 20168/10
Described by Roger Ebert as a "trapped in a haunted house" movie, this movie set the bar for Horror in the Summer. The "Nostromo," like "Star Wars" spacecraft, looks worn and in use, compared to the "just out of the box" look of "Star Trek" spacecraft. (And I'm a fan of the "Star Trek" universe!) The claustrophobic feel of the "Nostromo" is due to "filming inside of a tube" location shooting next seen in "Das Boot." A band of "space truckers" are awakened from hibernation, and are shocked to find that they are only half way home. The Company orders them to investigate an Alien transmission, which sets up a descent into Hell as the crew finds themselves being stalked by an opportunistic "Exomorph." As the crew is picked off one by one, the true nature of the beast and the odd attitude of the Science officer, Ash, raise the anxiety level over 100%. What sets this tale apart from other "space monster" films is the character of Third officer Ripley, who raises uncomfortable questions to Capt. Dallas about company policy in general and Science officer Ash in particular. After Capt. Dallas disappears, take-charge-female-Ripley discovers Ash's true intentions and leads her diminished crew
Read the whole review on TMDB - John Chardon TMDB · May 201910/10
There is a clause in the contract which specifically states any systematized transmission indicating a possible intelligent origin must be investigated... Alien is directed by Ridley Scott and written by Ronald Shusett and Dan O'Bannon. It stars Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, John Hurt, Yaphet Kotto, Ian Holm and Harry Dean Stanton. Music is by Jerry Goldsmith and cinematography by Derek Vanlint. The space merchant vessel Nostromo receives an unknown transmission as a distress call and land on the moon where the call had come from. Bad idea... Back on release it was one of the most talked about movies of 1979, backed by a terrifically tantalising trailer - which itself was backed by one of the greatest tag-lines of them all, the weight of expectation of a genre blending classic was colossal. This was only after all director Ridley Scott's second feature length film, could a sophomore pic really be all that? History as we now know has proven that to be the case. On plot synopsis it's standard format, where the haunted house and a killer on the loose has been replaced by a space ship in space. Yet once the pic plays its alien hand, and it becomes a battle of sur
Read the whole review on TMDB - Repo Jackon TMDB · Oct 202010/10
The standard bearer of horror in space, Ridley Scott's masterpiece still thrills new generations of fans. The Giger-inspired alien induces a claustrophobic nightmare that still carries on in sequels and prequels.
Read the whole review on TMDB - r96skon TMDB · Feb 20228/10
<em>'Alien'</em> isn't as eventful, and as such as entertaining, as I had anticipated, though it is still an enjoyable near two hours. It's a strong cast, with newbie Sigourney Weaver putting in a great performance. Tom Skerritt, Harry Dean Stanton, Yaphet Kotto and John Hurt are good too. I wanted to see more of them, though that's normal given the tightness of the setting - there's only so much they can do, of course. Other positives include the neat set design, solid special effects and well done tension building. I can't say I was ever fully unnerved, in fairness that's more a personal thing as fiction rarely scares me, but I was locked on for the entirety. It also gets respect for setting the benchmark it did. Will check out the sequels, prequels and spin-offs/crossovers with much intrigue.
Read the whole review on TMDB - GenerationofSwineon TMDB · Jan 202310/10
Horror in Space, that's what this is. It's a space monster movie, and the thing is, if you see Aliens, or most of the other Alien related films BEFORE you see this one, you're going to be expecting something completely different. But what you have is a horror movie set on a space ship with an atmosphere so thick that you could cut it with a knife. You can taste the eerie tension when you watch it...and, at least in my eyes, that makes it better than the over-the-top Space Marines that you see in the later installments. And, no questions are answered. There is no broad sweeping mythology. There is only the movie, there is only the monster, there is only the fear and tension. But that is all the movie needs. It's just science-fiction and scary. It's a brilliant merger. But, don't listen to the people making it out to be more than it is. It's really ONLY a horror movie in space and nothing more. That doesn't make it any less enjoyable, but it does make it completely confusing when you read reviews that make it out to be more than an exceptional monster movie.
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Cast
- Tom SkerrittDallas
- Sigourney WeaverRipley
- Veronica CartwrightLambert
- Harry Dean StantonBrett
- John HurtKane
- Ian HolmAsh
- Yaphet KottoParker
- Bolaji BadejoAlien
- Helen HortonMother (voice)
Crew
- Ridley ScottDirector
- Dan O'BannonScreenplay
- Derek VanlintDirector of Photography
- Jerry GoldsmithOriginal Music Composer
- Terry RawlingsEditor
- Peter WeatherleyEditor
- Walter HillProducer
- Gordon CarrollProducer
- David GilerProducer
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Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Curator Co. Other media included when they land close.
The Others 200182% alikeBoth earnest, grave, intimate.
Island of Lost Souls 193274% alikeBoth earnest, grave, bleak.
The Thing 198274% alikeBoth earnest, bleak, grave.
Gretel & Hansel 202073% alikeBoth earnest, grave, intimate.
Alien³ 199273% alikeBoth earnest, grave, classical in form.
Brute Force 194772% alikeBoth earnest, grave, bleak.
Bad Day at Black Rock 195571% alikeBoth earnest, grave, classical in form.
Night of the Living Dead 196871% alikeBoth earnest, grave, intimate.
Black Bird 202269% alikeSeries · Both earnest, grave, classical in form.
The Night is Grey 202469% alikeGame · Both earnest, grave, intimate.
Often watched with
Recommendations from TMDB. Opening one adds it to Curator Co.
