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Alien

Alien

In space no one can hear you scream.

1979117 minRMidcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Director
Ridley Scott
Starring
Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton

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.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Alien?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Alien streaming on Disney+ and Netflix and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Alien?

Alien earns 12 badges, led by Top 1% of films and Stood the test of time.

Show 4 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Alien worth watching?

Alien's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all films, from 3.1M ratings across 6 sources. 92% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of films

99th percentile among Sci-Fi99th percentile among 1970s
Acclaim (how much people like it)98th
Approval (how many liked it)99th

84 /100

98th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Sci-Fi99th percentile among 1970s

Critics 89 · Audience 84

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

92% liked it

99th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Sci-Fi99th percentile among 1970s
92% rated it 7–108% rated it 1–6

Critics 93% · Audience 94%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

1 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 18 wins / 20 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Effects, Visual Effects
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Art Direction-Set Decoration

99th percentile

3.1M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Sci-Fi99th percentile among 1970s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 3% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$11M
Opening weekend$3.5M
Domestic gross$84M
Worldwide gross$110M

Returned 10.0× its budget — 91st percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Fans praised

  • groundbreaking practical effects and eerie production design
  • masterful slow-burn tension and claustrophobic atmosphere
  • strong, realistic performances from the ensemble cast

Detractors panned

  • illogical character decisions and plot holes
  • tedious pacing and boring, unengaging story
  • hollow, cliché characters with no depth

What stands out

Atmosphere97

claustrophobic, unnerving, gothic, immersive

TensionDivisive95

pervasive dread and suspense vs. not remotely suspenseful

Effects and spectacle95

timeless practical effects, Giger's creature design

Acting90

natural, realistic, believable ensemble, Weaver's breakthrough

Cinematography90

brilliant use of light, shadow, and camera movement

Sound and music90

Jerry Goldsmith's score, eerie sound design

CharactersDivisive72

ordinary people vs. cliché uninteresting stereotypes

Plot and storyDivisive55

simple survival story vs. illogical and formulaic

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 4 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 4 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is Alien like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want to be scared.

It is intense and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDreadCold
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Brutal · 7% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneRidley Scott treats the material with dead seriousness, building tension through realistic performances and atmospheric design.
The rideThe film sustains a nearly constant state of tension and dread from the moment the crew investigates the derelict ship until the final confrontation, never letting up.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically from the discovery to the final escape.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

Haunting · 14% of filmsUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's claustrophobic tension and the creature's relentless pursuit leave a lingering sense of vulnerability and dread.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% (this title) · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

21% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe crew is hunted by a relentless alien predator after investigating a derelict spacecraft.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% (this title) · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% (this title) · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

SurvivalIsolation · 5% of filmsPower · 2% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film is driven by the crew's primal struggle to survive a relentless predator in the vast emptiness of space, while also exploring how corporate power and isolation shape their vulnerability.
StanceThe film warns about the dangers of the unknown and the ruthlessness of corporate interests, using the alien as a metaphor for the predatory nature of unchecked power and the fragility of human life in a vast, indifferent universe.

The world

Far futureIn transitScience fiction
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Jerry Goldsmith
Settingaboard the commercial starship Nostromo, a grimy, industrial space tug
MusicGoldsmith's score uses dissonant strings and eerie, atonal passages to heighten the sense of dread and the alien's otherness.

Content guide

Is Alien okay for kids?

R

Alien is rated R: “Rated R for sci-fi violence/gore and language” (MPAA). As of October 26, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (76/100), sexual content at mild (34/100), language at moderate (59/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (30/100) and frightening material at severe (88/100). Overall it is heavier than 60% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 35 other countries
  • UK18
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland15
  • New Zealand16
  • JapanPG-12
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • Argentina18
  • Belgium16
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceK-16
  • Hungary18
  • IndiaA
  • IS16
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoB
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway18
  • PE14
  • PhilippinesR-18
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/16
  • RO18
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporePG
  • Spain16
  • SU16+
  • Sweden15
  • TH18 +
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 76% of all filmsHeavier than 60% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 59%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 29%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 35%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 18%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 91%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material and violence. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Alien have?

MovieCove's classifier found 1 depicted content warning in Alien, withheld here because it would spoil the plot. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

Cast and crew

Who is in Alien?

Cast

2 of the 9 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Tom Skerritt
as Dallas
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sigourney Weaver
as Ripley
BAFTA nominee: BAFTA Award nomination — Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Veronica Cartwright
as Lambert
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.
Harry Dean Stanton
as Brett
John Hurt
as Kane
BAFTA nominee: BAFTA Award nomination — Best Supporting ActorTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ian Holm
as Ash
newcomer then · star now
Yaphet Kotto
as Parker
Bolaji Badejo
as Alien
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Helen Horton
as Mother

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Alien?

Movies like Alien include Alien³ (1992), Alien: Covenant (2017) and Alien: Resurrection (1997). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films by Ridley Scott, and most are films set in outer space.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Ronald Shusett and Dan O'Bannon wrote 6 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Alien?

199 other films share the rarest tag below, follows: astronaut. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.