#RANKING: DARREN'S RANKING OF THE ALIEN FILM FRANCHISE

1. ALIENS (1986) 5/5 Stars

“Get away from her you bitch” is easily without question one of the most iconic movie lines of all time, featured in one of the greatest action films ever made. Switching gears from the claustrophobic horror driven Alien, James Cameron brings his big scale, bombastic filmmaking style to Aliens. The only thing scarier than one xenomorph is many xenomorphs, and that is what Ripley finds herself up against in this film. Sigourney Weaver gives one of the finest performances of her career that earned her an Oscar nomination, perfectly embodying Ripley’s trauma from her time on the Nostromo and capturing her tough as nails grit as she fights to protect herself and Newt while exterminating as many xenomorphs as possible. The supporting cast of Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Paul Reiner, and Bill Paxton are all excellent, though no one can detract from Weaver’s exquisite performance. Cameron’s direction delivers spectacle driven set pieces that are exhilarating with excellent special effects and outstanding creature design and prosthetics to bring to life the xenomorphs. Much like its predecessor, the film starts off slow, methodically building to that startling reveal at the halfway mark, which sets up a heart pounding second half that will have you on the edge of your seat, sweating in absolute terror waiting to see if Ripley will survive. The action is a dazzling accomplishment, while the horror elements are still deathly terrifying. While totally very different from Alien, it’s not only a perfect sequel that never for a second copies the original, but the rare one that outdoes its predecessor. Without question, the best film of the franchise!

2. ALIEN (1979) 5/5 Stars

There is a reason that Alien is one of the greatest horror films ever made! An absolute masterclass in filmmaking as Ridley Scott creates an unbearable, claustrophobia and deathly terrifying experience featuring striking cinematography, impressive production design, and some of the best creature effects and design ever to grace the silver screen. The story, while simple, has an incredible slow burn that builds tension and fear in viewers from that first still until it explodes into utter chaos (starting with that iconic chest burster scene), which creates one unforgettable heart pounding experience that does not let up until the credits begin rolling. The performances from the entire cast are excellent with the likes of Tom Skerritt, Ian Holm, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton and Yaphet Kotto. But it is Sigourney Weaver’s legendary performance that earns its place in cinema history and kickstarted her legendary acting career. No one in space may be able to hear you scream, but you will be screaming for sure during this groundbreaking horror film!

3. ALIEN ROMULUS (2024) 4.5/5 Stars

Face huggers and chest bursters and xenomorphs, oh my! The Alien franchise returns with a vengeance to the big screen in what is easily one of its best entries thanks to the visionary direction of Fede Álvarez. What ensues is a two hour, heart pounding thrill ride that calls back to some of the franchise’s best moments both narratively and artistically, taking the franchise back to its horror roots while pushing it in an exciting direction that is going to both excite and scare fans to death. With the outstanding performances of Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson and Archie Renaux leading the film, Fede Álvarez’s twisted and mortifying vision of outer space terror comes to life with stunning cinematography, bombastic sound design and outstanding practical effects at every turn, making Alien: Romulus equally as dazzling as it is terrifying in one of the best horror films of the year!

4. ALIEN COVENANT (2017) 4/5 Stars

Without a question, Alien: Covenant is the most vicious game Alien film to date. Ridley Scott continues his contemplative themes of creation that he began in Prometheus, while mixing it with the grotesque horror of the original film. The kills themself are the most bloody, brutal, and disturbing of the entire series (especially the back burster and the shower scene which have forever been burnt into my memory), delivering on its reputation for shocking deaths. Katherine Waterston is the best female lead of the franchise as Daniels since Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley, delivering a harrowing and commanding performance. The mix of stunning locations, practical and visual effects creates an outer space horror-fest like no other, while Scott’s direction does a great job at building tension and despair in the audience. But it’s Michael Fassbender’s dual performance as David and Walter that is the highlight of the film. Truly, Fassbender is one of the best parts of the entire franchise and I wish we got the conclusion of this story to see him really cook with his performance.

5. PROMETHEUS (2012) 4/5 Stars

No matter how many times I watch Prometheus, it never fails to entrance me. Ridley Scott’s return to the world of Alien is a contemplative reflection on creation, life and the search for answers, as he plunges audiences back into an unknown world of terror. The narrative poses more questions than answers, while laying the breadcrumbs as to the xenomorphs’ origins. There are moments of pure terror that do not holdback, notably that surgery scene which is utterly horrifying, as this science fiction thriller weaves an engaging story. The cast is exceptional, with Noomi Rapace and Charlize Theron turning in outstanding performances, but it is Michael Fassbender as David who steals the entire film. The production design, cinematography and effects bring to life Scott’s vision with a haunting beauty, creating a film filled with DNA of Alien that is entirely its own unique and stunning beast.

6. ALIEN RESURRECTION (1997) 3/5 Stars

Alien: Resurrection has no right to be this entertaining, but here we are. With some distance from Aliens 3, 200 years in the timeline to be exact, this fourth entry never takes itself too seriously. It’s a mix of the action of Aliens (but never as expertly executed and staged as James Cameron) and the horror of Alien (though never for a second is it the heart pounding, terrifying ride that gave birth to the franchise), even if the story is ridiculous and even laughable at times. Some of the kills are wildly entertaining, Sigourney Weaver is never not totally badass as Ripley, and Winona Ryder is pretty good as Call, though some of the CGI moments have not aged that well. A major step up from Alien 3, but that’s a low bar to clear.

7. ALIEN VS. PREDATOR (2004) 2.5/5 Stars

AVP: Alien vs Predator is every bit as mindless as it sounds, but it also knows exactly what audiences want from it. What it lacks in story, it makes up for with epic monster brawls between the titular creatures. There’s enough story to set the ground for these two iconic movie monsters to face off against each other, and the fights don’t disappoint. The practical effects and fight choreography are great, creating a truly exciting middle and final act to the film that delivers the epic monster battles promised by the film’s title. The cast is decent with Sanaa Lathan and Raoul Bova making for good leads, while Lance Henriksen is a fun addition as Charles Bishop Weyland is a nice nod to Aliens. It’s far from groundbreaking cinema, it’s not a particularly great movie, but boy is it entertaining.

8. ALIEN 3 (1992) 2/5 Stars

Without a doubt one of the scariest children. While Alien and Aliens were terrifying films that have me on edge no matter how many times I’ve seen them, both becoming unique and instant classic horror films, Alien 3 is the exact opposite. While David Fincher’s direction shows his promise as a filmmaker and Sigourney Weaver can do no wrong as Ripley, that is the extent of anything positive about this sequel. Riddled with production issues and shot without a completed script, it’s a boring and not even remotely scary experience that unjustly disregards Aliens' ending to take the story in a direction that is unremarkable and uninteresting . There’s the odd memorable moment with the Xenomorph, but for the most part I can’t help but imagine how great of the original screenplay actually became the third film in the series. Sadly to say, Alien 3 is dead on arrival.

9. ALIENS VS. PREDATOR: REQUIEM (2007) 1/5 Stars

For a movie titled “Alien vs Predator”, there is a severe lack of Alien versus Predator fights in it. 

Sadly, while the first film in this crossover between these two iconic horror franchises was fun, silly and knew exactly what fans wanted, the sequel is one of the worst films I’ve ever seen. The practical effects and creature design are decent, but the rest is a mess. Yes, the humans are meant to be cannon fodder for the alien creatures, but they are so uninteresting and frankly annoying that you feel nothing as they are quickly picked off one by one. The story is non-existent, the action and kills, while incredibly gory, are super quick with no stakes to them, and the performances are uninspired… not hard to imagine why. A true disaster all the way around.

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(Poster/Photo/Video credit: 20th Century Studios Canada)

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