- Starring
- Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Ian Holm
- Director
- Ridley Scott
- Rating
- R
- Genre
- Horro, Sci-Fi, Thriller
- Release date
- May 25, 1979
- Where to watch
- Starz
Overall Score
Rating Overview
Rating Summary
One of the most striking aspects of the film is its attention to detail. From the grime and wear on the Nostromo’s interior, to the eerie, otherworldly architecture of the alien planet, every element of the film’s design serves to immerse the viewer in its world. The film’s score, composed by Jerry Goldsmith, also adds to the atmosphere with its use of eerie, pulsing electronic sounds.
Alien
The film’s pacing is also expertly handled, with the first act establishing the characters and setting the stage for the horror to come. The tension is gradually ratcheted up, with a series of increasingly ominous and terrifying encounters with the alien, until the final act, which is an intense, action-packed climax that leaves the viewer on the edge of their seat.
The alien itself is a masterpiece of creature design, with its biomechanical appearance and eerie, almost insect-like movements. The creature’s design is both terrifying and strangely beautiful, and it remains one of the most iconic movie monsters of all time.
In addition to its technical and artistic achievements, the film also deals with some thought-provoking themes. The isolation and confinement of the Nostromo’s crew, as well as the callous disregard for their safety by the company that employs them, speaks to a broader commentary on the dehumanizing effects of corporate greed.
All in all, Alien is a film that continues to be a benchmark in the science fiction and horror genres. Its attention to detail, pacing, and special effects are all top-notch, and the film’s themes and story are still relevant today. It’s a film that should be seen by any fan of science fiction or horror, and it continues to be an inspiration for filmmakers everywhere.
Alien is a true masterpiece of filmmaking, it’s a film that boasts of excellent direction, production design, special effects, acting, pacing, and storytelling. The film’s attention to detail and themes are expertly crafted and it remains as one of the most iconic movie monsters of all time. It’s a film that should be seen by any fan of science fiction or horror, and it continues to be an inspiration for filmmakers everywhere.
James Carrick
James Carrick is a passionate film enthusiast with a degree in theater and philosophy. James approaches dramatic criticism from a philosophic foundation grounded in aesthetics and ethics, offering insight and analysis that reveals layers of cinematic narrative with a touch of irreverence and a dash of snark.
4 comments
Ktuff_morning
March 29, 2024 at 3:51 am
The alien is clearly pushing a conservative agenda of evil. I’d put it at about 50% on the wokemeter.
MrHyde
April 24, 2024 at 11:26 pm
Alien & Aliens is actually woke and pushing LGBTQ propaganda, just less obvious since it was 1979. Ellen Ripley & crewmate Joan Lambert are lesbian lovers and Joan is a trans woman. This is canon. The crew insignia in Alien has a rainbow to show this. In the sequel Aliens, bios of each decease crewmate show including Lambert. In her profile it says she was born male and transitioned to female.
Robert Smith
May 28, 2024 at 7:47 pm
An all time classic movie that would never be made the same way today. Very telling that the clowns like Ktuff_morning and MrHyde trying to troll this site have to invent woke elements for Alien because we all know, there weren’t any.
Wokeness reduces everyone down to a representative of their sex or race, slots them into binary categories of oppressor or oppressed, and the mandatory DEI casting we see today is merely an extension of this totalizing, infantalizing ideology.
In contrast, all of the characters in Alien are depicted as full-fledged individuals, regardless of their superficial differences, and represent only themselves. Such a refreshing change from what we routinely see now. Of course Ktuff_morning and MrHyde had to make stuff up and their feeble attempts only serve to highlight how un-woke films like Alien were.
Carguy101
August 3, 2024 at 10:01 pm
Love this film.
Scared the crap out of me several times the first time a saw it.
Real people trapped in a tin can in deep space fighting to stay alive.
Nothing remotely woke about it.
“Aliens” is my all time favorite out of the franchise though.