Sometime in the distant future, a seven-person crew upon a commercial spaceship named “Nostromo”, stumble upon a distress call from a planet not too far away. Under obligation to investigate, the group descend onto the small planet, but quickly discover that the original message was a warning, not a distress call, before coming to the realisation that life is in fact prevalent there. Alien still manages to hold up in 2023 as being an extremely entertaining flick. It’s worth noting that Alien is currently streaming on Disney+.

Director: Ridley Scott
Writers: Dan O’Bannon, Ronald Shusett
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Harry Dean Lambert, Yaphet Kotto, Veronica Cartwright

Nominated for two Academy Awards in 1980 and eventual winner in the “Best Effects, Visual Effects” category, Alien is widely regarded as one of the most impactful movie releases of all time. The films sheer popularity demanded the spawning of three sequels over the next twenty years, Aliens (1986), Alien 3 (1992) and Alien: Resurrection (1997), films which will be reviewed on the website in the coming months, along with two more recent prequels in the form of Prometheus (2012) and Alien Covenant (2017), both of which have already been reviewed on the website. There was also a later release, Alien Romulus (2024).

From a cinematography point of view, this forty-year-old classic doesn’t particularly shine compared to some modern-day releases, but it certainly doesn’t disappoint either. With that being said, the costume and set design are both impressive, while the general visuals on display are more than compelling considering its 1979 release date. Alien’s real strength, however, is the way in which the filmmakers manage to convey the perfect atmosphere for a feature in the science fiction and horror genre. Within each scene there seemed to be a constant sense of dread and fear lingering in the background, with the filmmakers also slowly building suspense and tension throughout the one-hundred and seventeen-minute runtime.

Since its original release to audiences in 1979, many filmmakers have tried emulating the success that Alien received using similar formulas, with some being successful and others not – this being perhaps the biggest praise Ridley Scott and the rest of the people involved in the creation of the flick can account for.

In terms of the cast, Sigourney Weaver starred as Ripley, one of the seven prominent figures within the picture, but certainly a character that commanded the majority of screen time compared to the others. Tom Skerritt, John Hurt and Ian Holm were three of the other cast members, appearing as Dallas, Kane and Ash, respectively. Elsewhere, Harry Dean Lambert, Yaphet Kotto and Veronica Cartwright were also prevalent, portraying Brett, Parker and Lambert.

Ultimately, Alien marks the beginning of a historic franchise in the Sci-FI category and features a multitude of memorable scenes. It may not the perfect film, but the strengths in which it instils are a commanding enough reason to warrant this as being worthy of watch. As previously noted, Alien is currently streaming on Disney+.

“It’s got a wonderful defense mechanism. You don’t dare kill it.”

Parker – Alien 1