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Alien

Play trailer 0:33 Poster for Alien R 1979 1h 56m Sci-Fi Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
93% Tomatometer 208 Reviews 94% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
In deep space, the crew of the commercial starship Nostromo is awakened from their cryo-sleep capsules halfway through their journey home to investigate a distress call from an alien vessel. The terror begins when the crew encounters a nest of eggs inside the alien ship. An organism from inside an egg leaps out and attaches itself to one of the crew, causing him to fall into a coma.
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Alien

Alien

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Critics Consensus

A modern classic, Alien blends science fiction, horror and bleak poetry into a seamless whole.

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Critics Reviews

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Jack Kroll Newsweek 11/16/2023
Alien will scare the peanuts right out of your M&M's. It was about time someone made a science-fiction thriller that thrills... and just boils everything down to the pure, ravishingly vulgar essence of fright. Go to Full Review Elston Brooks Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com 11/16/2023
You can have Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and 2001. I'll take Alien. Go to Full Review Desmond Ryan Philadelphia Inquirer 11/16/2023
Miss Weaver, a New York actress making her film debut, makes the most of the opportunity without overdoing it. She suggests toughness and fear in equal measure. Go to Full Review Richard Freedman Newark Star-Ledger Jan 6
Alien is no ordinary movie. While its gruesome effects require a strong stomach, its overall impact requires an even strong mind and imagination. Go to Full Review David Day Horror Movie Talk Sep 18
10/10
Alien is one of the most impressive pieces of cinema in history. It set the bar so high for horror and sci-fi that I think it’s still the apex of both. Every single aspect of this movie is carefully thought-out and crafted to the highest of standards. Go to Full Review Mat Brunet AniMat's Review (YouTube) Aug 29
9/10
They'll save all the complexities for what you see visually, but in terms of the premise, all it needs is just a monster, a spaceship, a bunch of people, and let things fly out as it is, especially with the focus on the survival aspect. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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VictorHFerr Apr 8 AWESOME SCIFI/HORROR FILM BY DIRECTOR RIDLEY SCOTT!!! See more Jeremiah 09/28/2024 My all time favorite film. it needs no justification. watch and see the genius of true horror. See more Aaron Bacchus 05/24/2024 A Horror Classic. The beat in the series. A must watch for all !!! See more GotRizz237 16h Alien felt really slow at the beginning, and it was pretty hard to understand and it was pretty much boring. See more Carlos H @carloshenriquec 1d In 2026, I corrected one of my biggest cinematic oversights: I watched the 1979 horror classic, Alien, directed by Ridley Scott, and finally understood why this film is so acclaimed. First, I'd like to highlight the effects, which remain impressive even today. I can only imagine the astonishment the audience must have felt seeing them on a movie screen in 1979! Everything in the film is in its place: the direction, the soundtrack, the cast, the way Ridley creates tension as he moves the camera through the corridors of the Nostromo spaceship... And what about the scene where Kane descends into the depths of the Engineer's abandoned ship? The way Ridley films and shows that unknown and terrifying vastness is impactful! I truly feared for all those characters! Without a doubt, one of the best films I've ever seen! See more Luke P. @user1256 Jan 20 Really fun thrill ride of a sci fi. A classic. See more Read all reviews
Alien

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Cast & Crew

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Ridley Scott

Director

Tom Skerritt

Captain A.J. Dallas

Sigourney Weaver

Warrant Officer Lt. Ellen L. Ripley

John Hurt

Engineer G.W. Kane

Veronica Cartwright

Navigator J.M. Lambert

Harry Dean Stanton

Engineering Technician S.E. Brett

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Alien

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Movie Info

Synopsis In deep space, the crew of the commercial starship Nostromo is awakened from their cryo-sleep capsules halfway through their journey home to investigate a distress call from an alien vessel. The terror begins when the crew encounters a nest of eggs inside the alien ship. An organism from inside an egg leaps out and attaches itself to one of the crew, causing him to fall into a coma.
Director
Ridley Scott
Producer
David Giler, Gordon Carroll, Walter Hill
Screenwriter
Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Twentieth Century Fox, Brandywine Productions
Rating
R
Genre
Sci-Fi, Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 25, 1979, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Apr 26, 2024
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 2, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$82.6M
Runtime
1h 56m
Sound Mix
Surround, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1), 70mm
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