As one of the most recognizable franchises in sci-fi horror history, looking at the Alien movies ranked shows how varied the series has been. Though Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley is an icon of both the sci-fi genre and cinema at large, the Alien movies have focused on many different characters over the years and explored the mythology of the monstrous xenomorphs and their origins. The franchise has also seen some of the most talented filmmakers in the world at the helms of various Alien movies, including Ridley Scott, James Cameron, and David Fincher.
After a long silence following the disappointing reception of Alien: Covenant, Fede Alvarez's new Alien movie hopes to fix the franchise along with Noah Hawley's planned Alien series. In the meantime, there are still plenty of Alien movies to revisit, though some are better than others. The Alien franchise has been adaptable to new filmmakers and directions but while certain big risks have worked beautifully, others have fallen short. The Alien movies ranked from worst to best show the low points of the series as well as how brilliant these movies can be.
8 Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
- Available to stream on Starz.
The Alien vs. Predator movies have always been better conceptually than in practice, but it's the second attempt that truly doomed the idea. Alien vs. Predator: Requiem picks up where the last movie ended and actually establishes some interesting ideas including an Alien/Predator hybrid called a “Predalien.” Requiem is also a big step up from the previous Alien vs. Predator movie in terms of on-screen deaths, fully embracing the R-rating and tallying up a massive kill count.
However, visual spectacle alone does not a good Alien movie make, which is why it's ranked as the worst Alien movie. The human characters in Requiem are two-dimensional, undeveloped, and mostly based on worn-out tropes. Most of them feel like they have lines in the script simply to add to the body count. As far as cinematography is concerned, Alien vs. Predator: Requiem is far too dimly lit, robbing the audience of the joy of seeing the admittedly great practical effects. While those looking for a gory monster movie will be satisfied enough, the second Alien vs. Predator doesn't do justice to either iconic movie monster.
7 Alien 3 (1992)
- Available to stream on Starz.
Alien 3 feels like the most wasted potential in the franchise to date, as it had all the ingredients to follow on from Aliens with a trilogy-ending high. Hiring music video director David Fincher for his directorial debut, the unique setting of a prison planet, and a xenomorph which chest-bursted from a dog made Alien 3 seem like a guaranteed success. Sadly, studio interference and a limited budget sent the sequel off the rails — and meant a disappointing start to Fincher's movie career, as well as a low place among ranked Alien movies.
Things start off boldly with Alien 3 killing off Newt and Hicks in the opening scene. From the off, the dour tone of Alien 3 sets it clearly apart from James Cameron's Aliens, although the shift wasn't universially appreciated. To Alien 3's credit, the iconically shaven-haired Sigourney Weaver delivers a notably powerful Ripley performance as Ripley and — though hampered by the studio — Fincher's talents are unmistakable with some beautiful shots throughout. Sadly, the behind-the-scenes troubles are impossible to ignore in the dull and anti-climactic third act.
6 Alien vs. Predator (2004)
- Available to stream on Starz.
Ever since their interaction was teased in a fun Easter egg in Predator 2, fans had been waiting for an Alien vs. Predator movie — so this 2004 release being a small-scale watered-down PG-13 crossover was a significant letdown, and is rarely ranked highly among Alien movies. Alien vs. Predator's unwillingness to cross the threshold into R-Rated territory was a baffling decision given that two of the deadliest movie monsters are sharing the screen, and the movie definitely suffered for it.
Similar to the Alien vs. Predator sequel, the movie brings in human characters to keep the conflict grounded, but none of these characters hold a torch to Ripley, or Arnold Schwarzenegger's Dutch in Predator. Where Alien vs. Predator shows its strengths, however, is in how masterfully it weaves together the lore of the two franchises — even if this does mean it gets exposition heavy at points. The fights between the titular monsters delivered too, with some excellent action sequences showcasing the power of both the Alien and the Predator.
5 Prometheus (2012)
- Available to stream on Starz.
The news of Ridley Scott returning to sci-fi movies and the Alien franchise was met enthusiastically, and many expected the veteran filmmaker would bring the franchise back to its glory days. However, Scott was clearly not interested in simply redoing what he did in Alien, and thus Prometheus was a very different movie than expected, both in tone and content. With Prometheus, Ridley Scott seemed to be endeavoring to create a movie within the Alien universe which wasn't explicitly an Alien movie, and this awkward approach translated to less interesting monsters and an over-emphasis on heavy exposition-filled dialogue.
While it builds the lore significantly, Prometheus is at the lower end of Alien movies ranked. The answers Prometheus gives are also to questions that weren't really asked of the franchise — if anything, the xenomorphs were more intimidating when their origin was unknown. However, Scott still delivers a beautiful-looking sci-fi movie with some bold ideas and intense sequences. Michael Fassbender is also excellent as the android David who seems as menacing as the alien threats at times, and is a more than worthy torchbearer for the legacy left by the late Ian Holm as Ash in the first Alien.
4 Alien Resurrection (1997)
- Available to stream on Starz.
As Sigourney Weaver's final appearance in the series to date, Alien: Resurrection is not a fitting end for Ripley in the Alien franchise. However, for those who watch these movies for the kills and monster action, the fourth movie delivers fairly well. The xenomorph breakout sequence inside the military facility is a particularly entertaining scene that shows off the movie's horror elements, as well as its somewhat intentionally cheesy sense of humor. While not a stand-out installment, Resurrection is far from the worst entry when it comes to Alien movies ranked.
Not everything in Alien: Resurrection works so well, with Joss Whedon's quippy dialogue feeling particularly out of place in the franchise. Some of the story details, including the human-xenomorph hybrid, also don't land as intended. However, it makes for a fairly enjoyable sci-fi action movie with a fun supporting cast that includes Winona Ryder and Ron Perlman. It's also significantly closer in spirit to what makes the franchise so great than the worst Alien movies, and if any entry could be considered a midway point to separate the good Alien films from the terrible, it would be Alien: Resurrection.
3 Alien: Covenant (2017)
- Available to stream on FXNow.
After the vague connections of Prometheus left audiences a little confused and disappointed, Ridley Scott fully embraced making another Alien movie. Scott’s Alien: Covenant was the best Alien movie since the unparalleled Alien and Aliens, and since it's also the most recent is a hugely positive sign for the franchise.Covenant brings the horror back to the xenomorphs, weaving it masterfully between some absolutely stunning visuals and suspenseful storytelling. Once again, Michael Fassbender is the movie’s standout performer, this time playing dual android roles as the trustworthy Walter and duplicitous David.
Alien: Covenant has the most brutal, bloody, graphic violence of any Alien movie — the sequence of the xenomorphs attacking helpless victims in the shower helps cement it as one of the scariest Alien movies. Katherine Waterston lives up to the legacy of Sigourney Weaver in a fantastic lead performance, while usually comic actor Danny McBride provides strong support. Though some foolish decisions by certain characters and lackluster CGI diminish the immersion at points, Alien: Covenant does make for a solid return to form, and the open note left by its chilling ending tentatively suggests the darker years of the Alien franchise are behind it.
2 Aliens (1986)
- Available to stream on Starz.
James Cameron’s more action-oriented sequel to Alien falls just short of it. It effectively raises the stakes by switching one xenomorph out for dozens. This sequel also added a new dimension to the Ripley character as she became a sort of mother figure to young Newt. Seeing Ripley become a full-blown action hero also earned Weaver an Oscar nomination, rare in a genre movie. The cast is also filled with terrific supporting characters from the heroic Hicks to the high-strung Hudson to the sympathetic android Bishop.
Aliens wasn’t quite as groundbreaking as Ridley Scott’s original, but Cameron's approach to making sequels is unmatched. Just as he would later do with Terminator 2, Cameron's Aliens pitch avoided simply following the same route of the first movie and instead flipped the Alien franchise forever. Subsequent sequels have attempted to blend Scott's atmospheric tension with Cameron's elevated popcorn entertainment. Even if it falls slightly short of the original, Aliens is often regarded as one of the best sequels ever made.
1 Alien (1979)
- Available to stream on Starz.
Ridley Scott made movie history with this 1979 sci-fi horror masterpiece, setting an impossibly high bar for all the Alien movies that followed. The movie is essentially a haunted house story, with the space setting feeling all the more unsettling. Part of the reason the rest of the franchise hasn't surpassed Scott's original is that they have sought to lean into the sci-fi elements of the sci-fi horror franchise, expanding in scale and scope. However, it's the isolated and dread-inducing claustrophobia of the cramped Nostromo that makes Alien so effective — and why it's still the best Alien movie.
However, it's not just the utter terror Alien manages to create with a single xenomorph that earns it the top spot. While other franchise entries have struggled with flat or two-dimensional human characters, Alien's ensemble cast drew acclaim in their own right. Of course, Weaver's Ripley stands out the most, organically transforming from supporting character to hero in an organic way that's still touted as an example of flawless character development to this day. The greatest contribution of Alien though is, of course, the introduction of the xenomorph itself — an undisputed benchmark in movie monster design which, much like Alien within its own franchise, arguably has yet to be matched.