All Alien Movies Including Alien: Romulus, Ranked

The Alien franchise may have been erratic in terms of its quality. But it’s hard to deny the cultural impact that defined the genre after all these decades. It all started with Ridley Scott directing the first Alien in 1979 as he skilfully turned his movie into a scary and ominous sci-fi horror best described as a “haunted house in space”. The rest, as they say, is history and then came James Cameron levelling up with an action-packed sequel seven years later.

Subsequent Alien movies, however, are decidedly mixed-to-poor results. Throughout the decades, the franchise evolved into two crossover movies of Alien vs. Predator and two Alien prequels and now, Fede Álvarez took a stab to make a standalone Alien movie titled Alien: Romulus. The question is, how is the latest movie stacked against the rest of the movies in the franchise? Well, here is my list of every Alien movie, all ranked from worst to best including Alien: Romulus.

9. Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

Alien vs. Predator: Requiem made the right choice embracing the R-rated territory, unlike the ill-advised PG-13-rated Alien vs. Predator three years prior. And yet, this second Alien vs. Predator follow-up is a disaster on many levels. The biggest culprit of all is the cinematography so dark and I mean, literally dark to the point I have to squint my eyes trying to figure out what’s going on in the movie. The potentially interesting introduction of the Alien and Predator hybrid, Predalien and most of the gory scenes hardly matter since the unforgivably dim lighting kills the mood of watching the movie.

Yes, the budget may have been slashed significantly from the previous movie’s US$70 million budget to US$40 million, meaning The Brothers Strause (Greg and Colin) is forced to cut corners. But that doesn’t mean the story has to be disappointingly mundane, complete with forgettable characters that I barely care whether they will survive at the end of the day.

8. Alien vs. Predator (2004)

The idea of pitting the Xenomorphs against the Predators sounds like a wild idea worth translating from page to the big screen. It should have been an event movie worth waiting for but the studio figures that turning Alien vs. Predator into a PG-13 version can reach wider audiences. The crossover movie did manage to gain over US$177 million worldwide against its US$70 million budget but both critical and audience/fan responses are terribly mixed.

Paul W. S. Anderson knows how to put together some cool action scenes, one of which involves the Scar Predator using a shuriken against the Facehugger and Xenomorph. It was mindless fun watching the two iconic monsters fighting against each other but the problem is, the movie spends considerable time focusing on the human characters. Despite Lance Henriksen returning to his role as Bishop and Sanaa Lathan making quite an impression as Lex, the rest of the characters are reduced to thankless roles. Having seen the unrated edition, the added CGI blood and gore look flimsy while both versions suffer from the exposition-heavy plot and lack effective scares.

7. Alien: Resurrection (1997)

Enlisting Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the French filmmaker behind Delicatessen and The City of Lost Children is undoubtedly an odd but interesting choice to direct an Alien movie. But his brand of quirky humour doesn’t translate well into the sci-fi horror tropes of Alien: Resurrection. Working from future Avengers‘ Joss Whedon’s witty screenplay, it feels awkwardly misplaced in most scenes, despite the movie boasting a promising ensemble cast including Winona Ryder and Ron Perlman. Sigourney Weaver reprised her role as Ripley except her character is a clone version and her line, “Who do I have to f*** to get off this boat?” remains one of the most memorable quotes in the franchise.

The story does attempt something different with the introduction of the alien hybrid while Jeunet showcased some of his creative flairs, notably the thrilling underwater chase sequence in the flooded kitchen. But Alien: Resurrection remains a missed opportunity to course-correct the franchise after the mixed responses in Alien 3 five years ago.

6. Alien 3 (1992)

The first time I saw Alien 3 back in the ’90s, I hated it so much that it’s hard to believe this was the result of a long-awaited follow-up to James Cameron’s impressive 1986 sequel. The third Alien, of course, happens to be a notoriously troubled production even before David Fincher was brought in to direct the movie. This was Fincher’s first movie he famously disowned it due to the heavy studio interference.

The theatrical version is admittedly a mess and then comes the Assembly Cut in 2003, which runs 30 minutes longer. The latter fares better in terms of its characters and storytelling but frankly, Alien 3 remains a misguided effort.

The biggest problem of all lies in the fundamental premise of Ripley (Sigourney Weaver, looking good in a shaved head appearance) and the prison inmates forced to face the Xenomorph using the non-technology, primitive way. It just doesn’t have the same tension and visceral impact that the first two movies did so well. The climactic third act culminates in a series of foot chases trying to trap and outsmart the alien tends to be repetitive to the point it becomes tedious. Not to mention killing off Newt and Corporal Hicks is an ill-advised decision.

Still, some of Fincher’s direction deserves mention for his atmospheric visuals that would become his trademark in his subsequent movies. The iconic close-up encounter between the Xenomorph and the frightened Ripley in the infirmary remains one of the best moments in the franchise.

5. Alien: Covenant (2017)

Ridley Scott’s second Alien prequel feels like he’s playing safe with the formula trying to mesh his own Alien and James Cameron’s Aliens. It was unfortunately a scaled-back effort that he’s already hinted at a bold, new direction in the otherwise divisive Prometheus. Killing off Noomi Rapace’s Elizabeth Shaw, who did a great job in the previous movie is a huge mistake, even though Scott still retains Michael Fassbender’s David in Alien: Covenant. There are some intriguing ideas revolving around David’s sinister agenda while Fassbender playing another android character named Walter is a nice touch.

But too bad the story falls flat as it cares more about exploring the familiar been-there, done-that territory rather than continuing to embrace the philosophical storytelling approach seen in Prometheus. Still, Alien: Covenant is far from a disaster as Scott scores on the technical fronts with some of the most intense and thrilling set pieces in the franchise. The med-lab sequence, for instance, comes to mind while credits also go to the overall use of practical and CG effects on the Xenomorphs.

Apart from Fassbender’s memorable dual performances, franchise newcomers including Katherine Waterston deliver a decent performance as Daniels while it’s nice to see Danny McBride in a subdued performance as the cowboy hat-wearing Tennessee. Alien: Covenant ends with a dark twist which I’m eager to know what’s next in the concluding chapter of the Alien prequel. Shame that the underwhelming box office results dampened any chance for Scott to materialise his sequel to Alien: Covenant.

4. Prometheus (2012)

Prometheus was one of the most highly-anticipated movies that year. And it’s easy to see why. Ridley Scott, the director who gave us the iconic first Alien back in 1979 returned to the franchise to spearhead the prequel. But both fans and audience expectations were understandably divided, given Scott’s decision to retconning the franchise lore, specifically the involvement of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation.

And yet, it’s hard to deny the level of ambition Scott has displayed in Prometheus by not rehashing the same old formula. I may have been one of the minorities who appreciated this polarising prequel with Scott, working from Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof’s screenplay, asking thought-provoking questions about faith and human existence. Scott also showcases his directorial prowess of masterfully building up the tension before evolving into a full-blown terror, coupled with Marc Streitensfeld’s riveting score and Dariusz Wolski’s stunning cinematography.

The prequel also benefits from an excellent cast, beginning with Noomi Rapace’s engaging lead performance as Elizabeth Shaw while Charlize Theron delivers strong support as the icy Meredith Vickers. But it was Michael Fassbender who stole most of the show as the shady and manipulative android, David. While I admit the exposition-heavy dialogue tends to get in the way of the ambitious plot, Prometheus does help revitalise the franchise that has tried and failed four times in a row from Alien 3 to Alien vs. Predator: Requiem.

3. Alien: Romulus (2024)

It took Fede Álvarez, best known for his works in the Evil Dead reboot and Don’t Breathe to give us (specifically the fans) what we want in an Alien movie. He made the right choice not to bore us trying to fix the already-convoluted franchise lore and instead goes straight to the jugular.

And that is focusing primarily on the aspect that made the first two Alien movies so iconic to this day. He embraces both Ridley Scott’s deliberately-paced sci-fi horror and James Cameron’s action-packed approach with a few homages thrown in for a good measure. Thankfully, he doesn’t do so by resorting to mere fan service and nostalgia bait. It’s mostly well-paced with enough thrills and suspenseful moments while Álvarez, who also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Rodo Sayagues, explore the fresh angle of the power dynamics between a human (Cailee Spaeny’s Rain) and an android (David Jonsson’s Andy) revolving around the sister-and-brother bond.

Introducing a younger cast is another refreshing change of pace and Álvarez brings out the best in his actors, notably Spaeny and Jonsson. The director also insists on using as many practical effects as possible, among the rarities in today’s Hollywood blockbusters that rely more on CGI and green screen.

2. Alien (1979)

It’s a toss-up between Alien and Aliens. Both are unforgettable genre classics but after rewatching the two movies recently (and many times before that), Ridley Scott’s 1979 seminal sci-fi horror lands at No. 2 in the ranking list. It’s hard to believe this was only his second feature after The Duellists in 1977 at the time but he already proved his worth in meshing sci-fi and horror genre.

The deliberate pacing and slow build-up may have been a turn-off for some audiences. But Scott uses them to his full advantage in Alien, allowing him to establish the characters, each of which has different personalities while he isn’t afraid of depicting the everyday routines of the seven-member crew of the Nostromo commercial towing spacecraft. Because it was a necessary move that justified what was going to happen to them later in the movie. Scott also successfully evokes a foreboding sense of dread and escalating tension as the movie progresses, notably the still-shocking chest-bursting moment.

The first movie, of course, is notable for the impressive creature designs of the Facehugger and above all, the terrifying Xenomorph. Then, there’s the then-unknown young Sigourney Weaver, who would later become an iconic protagonist in the franchise as Ripley.

1. Aliens (1986)

How do you top such a genre classic like Alien? For then-young James Cameron, whose only notable work at the time was a little movie called The Terminator, he could have followed the same slow-burn formula and be done with it. Instead, he takes the franchise in another direction by raising the stakes and turning the sequel into an action-packed, war epic. All this while retaining the dread-inducing feel and tone of the first movie.

Cameron doesn’t rush things over by going straight to the action as he takes time re-establishing Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley, the sole survivor of the Nostromo tragedy. She’s no longer the same Ripley from the first movie, especially after enduring her biggest nightmare and this allows Cameron, who also wrote the screenplay, to progress her character arc from a survivor to a battle-hardened, take-charge protagonist. Her engaging performance lands her a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Actress — a rarity for the notoriously bias Academy against a genre movie.

The sequel also shows the gentle side of Ripley, evidently with her motherly instinct for the young Newt (Carrie Henn), the only survivor of the doomed LV-426 colony. Newt has a backstory and so does the populated colony a.k.a. Hadley’s Hope seen in the Special Edition that restored the 17 minutes’ worth of additional footage. The introduction of the gung-ho Marines gives us notable characters including the no-nonsense Hicks and the loudmouthed Hudson played by Michael Biehn and Bill Paxton respectively. And not to forget, Lance Henriksen’s memorable supporting turn as the ally android, Bishop.

Cameron knows well when to push the panic button at the right time, combining well-staged tension and thrilling action moments before culminating in a showdown between Ripley in the Power Loader fighting against the alien queen, complete with the iconic line of “Get away from her, you b****!“