Ranking Every Alien Franchise Movie From Best to Worst

***Author's Note***

I do not consider Alien vs. Predator or Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem cannon, nor do I believe they hold a candle to the true Alien films. They will not appear on this list, but let me know what you think of these non-cannon spinoffs!

Further, there is some debate whether Alien: Earth is cannon or non-cannon. I will adjust my list accordingly after watching it and researching it more. I plan to watch the first episode soon!

Update: I did end up watching the first episode and can confirm Alien: Earth is DEFINITELY cannon! I will write a separate piece reviewing the show in its entirety when it is fully released.

Warning: There are some SPOILERS AHEAD! Please proceed with caution.

#1 - Alien 1979 (9/10)

Directed by the one and only Ridley Scott, Alien was truly ground-breaking upon its release in 1979. The stellar visual effects, disturbing creature designs, surreal atmosphere of the set and high-stakes environment the characters are subjected to tell a gripping sci-fi horror story the likes of which audiences had never experienced before.

In truth, Alien was one of the first films that combined horror elements and the sci-fi trope of being "lost in space," seamlessly. Space is not new to the characters in this futuristic setting—space is something that has already been explored and is now traversible for human beings. The characters are members of a crew aboard a commercial space tug known as the Nostromo, which is in the process of a routine return to Earth. It is only when these seasoned crew members intercept a distress signal and find themselves completely isolated on an unknown planetoid the real horror begins to sink in for them and audiences. The fear stems from our understanding that the crew is accustomed to living in space, but this planetoid is alien even to them. They are no match for the creatures living on it and they are lightyears away from anyone who can save them.

Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Sigourney Weaver's incredible performance as Ellen Ripley, a character who paved the way for female leads in more action-centered roles and set the precedent for how to properly write and depict strong female characters in films of every genre. Sigourney made history in this film and has continued to inspire aspiring young actresses for more than four decades.

#2 - Aliens 1986 (9/10)

While Alien from 1979 is my personal favorite film of the franchise, many people believe James Cameron's Aliens from 1986 outshined the film that started it all.

I've seen several videos and read several articles breaking down the effects work and tricks the filmmakers used to improve certain aspects of the first Alien film in the making of Aliens. One of the biggest upgrades was the movement and appearance of the main antagonist itself: the xenomorph.

In the first Alien film, we see a wide camera shot of the xenomorph floating outside the Nostromo spaceship at the very end of the story, and it becomes painfully obvious that this terrifying, serpentine creature that had been stalking the crew throughout the story is nothing more than a guy in a costume. While the majority of the film was extremely tense and included multiple scares involving the alien creature, this shot of a guy in what was essentially an alien onesie definitely took away from what should have been a great ending to the story—similar to the lack-luster reveal of the animatronic shark at the end of Jaws. It just didn't look convincing enough.

Rather than relying on the use of an obvious alien costume for chase sequences, stunts or fighting scenes in Aliens, Cameron decided to combine robotics and clever camera angles to make the aliens much more frightening, no matter how large they were or how many of them appeared on-screen at any given time. And of course, these tricks paid off, dropping audiences right back into the horror surrounding the xenomorph and all that entails. I tip my hat to Cameron, he is a visionary.

My one and only real critique of this movie is the little girl, a character in the film known as Rebecca "Newt" Jorden. In my personal opinion, involving kids in movies is about as unpredictable as allowing them at weddings—depending on how they act, they can either contribute to the happiness and success of a wedding day, something that for many is a once in a lifetime event, or they could turn it into a complete disaster. In the film industry, child stars could make or break the movies they’re in, depending on their performance, role in the story and ability to connect with audiences. While I think the actress did a fine job, to me, her character was so annoying that scenes involving her rescue or defense against the xenomorphs seriously toed the line between grippingly heroic and completely unnecessary.

Newt was always running away, not being careful, putting herself in danger, falling into or ending up in places she shouldn't so the other characters would have to constantly chase her down or rescue her... For me, the “defenseless kid constantly having to be rescued by the protagonist” trope gets old very quickly, unless the young character is likable and ultimately adds an emotional element to the story.

Cole from The Sixth Sense is adorable and deep emotionally, and helps Dr. Malcolm Crowe as much as he helps Cole. Tim from Jurassic Park is always in danger, but he is funny and sassy, and ultimately brings out the best in Dr. Alan Grant. Carol Anne from Poltergeist is absolutely precious and sweet, and her innocence resonates with the audience when she is in danger. Newt on the other hand, doesn't really speak, doesn't really emote, and we never really get to build much of a relationship with her before she is constantly in mortal peril and putting other characters like Ripley in danger.

I'm curious to see what other people think of her character. Let me know in the comments!

#3 - Prometheus 2012 (8.5/10)

As the first major return to the Alien franchise after 15 years of silence (after the release of Alien: Resurrection in 1997), Prometheus was not received very well by audiences.

Many thought the characters were not as likable and made illogical decisions, there were some plot lines in the story that were introduced but never fully explored and the appearance of the xenomorph at the very end of the film looked nothing like the monsters Ridley Scott and James Cameron had depicted in the first two Alien films (while the reason why it looked different would be revealed in Alien: Covenant five years later, at the time, audiences believed this was the new look of the xenomorph for any upcoming films, and they were disappointed at the creature design).

That said, I actually really enjoy Prometheus and think it deserves much more love.

This film explores some very intriguing ideas and questions human beings have attempted to find answers to for centuries. Did God create all life on Earth, or was Earth seeded by a superior alien race? Is there life on other planets besides our own?

Further, while I agree many of the characters are not likable, many of them are supposed to be that way. I love Charlize Theron, but my goodness, her character is a stone cold b***h in this film, please excuse my language. Rafe Spall is great too, but his character is an absolute moron for being a scientist a part of an otherworldy expedition trillions of dollars in the making—he doesn’t react to dangerous situations in a reasonable way. Given their obvious shortcomings, we certainly don’t miss these characters when they eventually bite the dust.

There are however some excellent characters we become truly invested in or even find ourselves rooting for.

Noomi Rapace, who played the leading lady Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, is a phenomenal female lead. While she is no Ellen Ripley, she is fiercely determined to survive in the hostile alien environment of the film and will stop at nothing to find answers for the good of humankind. Michael Fassbender, who plays the robotic humanoid David, is also fascinating to watch. His deceptive and chaotically neutral personality wreaks havoc on the crew of the Prometheus and adds some interesting layers of conflict when it comes to the film's overarching themes of discovery, mortality and creation.

#4 - Alien: Romulus 2024 (8/10)

A solid film that respects the originals, and it was great to see such a positive response from fans when it was released. While Alien: Romulus is not my favorite film of the franchise by any means, I was excited to see so many Easter Eggs included in the story, loved the cast and really appreciated the fact that the film did not rely solely on CGI. I hate it when modern sci-fi films or monster movies completely give up practical effects and fully commit to CGI—I have always felt filmmakers should favor a happy medium or a strategic marriage of the two.

Practical effects add a certain charm and magic to so many films if they are executed the right way, and believe me, that extra effort pays off with audiences. Look at Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Harry Potter. All of these film franchises have combined both practical and computer-generated effects in telling their stories. Not only does this combination help immerse the audience in the worlds these films create, but it also helps immerse the actors and actresses in those worlds too. Having something physically present on-set for everyone involved to interact with is incredibly important and helps convince viewers whatever creature they are looking at is real.

That said, the practical and computer-generated xenomorphs and face-huggers fit together brilliantly as they interacted with the characters. Nothing was distracting, and many of the lighting, set design and camera tricks utilized in the original films were present throughout. A great hommage to Alien and Aliens and easily one of the best films of 2024.

#5 - Alien: Covenant 2017 (7.5/10)

Alien: Covenant legitemately unsettled me when I first saw it. The gore, the mystery, the dramatic irony, the twist ending, there are lots of things to like about this film. My biggest critique is it just wraps up way too fast. The foreshadowing and tension-building is amazing in the first half, but the pacing of the second half feels a little too rushed. Maybe a part 1 and part 2 were necessary in telling the story. However, it is still a good film overall and one I recommend seeing.

#6 - Alien: Resurrection 1997 (5/10)

Okay, now we're entering mediocre and all around odd cinematic territory when it comes to the Alien franchise. Narratively and technically, Alien: Resurrection and Alien 3 are not very good films. But, Alien: Resurrection is the better film of the two.

Sigourney Weaver returns, starring as a clone of Ellen Ripley, and unfortunately, her clone is nothing like the strong, relatable, fearless heroine whose courage and determination endure throughout the story. Rather, this version of Ripley is creepy, unfeeling and ultimately kind of unnerving. I realize a clone probably would not behave in the same way as the original person, but her new emotionally-detached and outwardly cold character just comes off as distracting and weird.

And it's not just the clone who is dislikable. In truth, every character is either too aggressive, too dull, too careless or too strange for the audience to build any kind of connection with. We don't care when they are hurt, we don't care when they're upset, we don't even really care when they die.

Probably the worst character, sad to say, is Winona Ryder’s Annalee Call, who is revealed to be a robot halfway through the film. The thing is though, this “twist” doesn't really work, as Winona does not act like a robot at all leading up to that point in the story. There are no real hints, no real clues, all we know is she is a bit of an outcast and the other characters do not like her. It just doesn't add up.

The iconic basketball scene is truly spectacular though—if you know, you know. Check out the behind-the-scenes video below!

#7 - Alien 3 1992 (4/10)

Easily the worst film of the entire franchise, in my opinion. I don't really have anything nice to say about it. The beginning of the film ruined everything for me. Before the story even starts, something happens at the beginning of Alien 3 that not only makes zero sense, but is also downright infuriating. I will not give it away, but the first 15 minutes of this film are why I don't like even associating it with the rest of the franchise. It's as if the writers were building to something remarkable in Ellen Ripley's story and decided to completely scrap it to instead destroy any and all hope she could possibly feel toward the future.

It was barbaric what they put her character through and what she was left with after everything. Just disappointing and extremely sloppy writing.