The late 70s changed sci-fi forever. Star Wars: A New Hope redefined the genre, Superman proved superhero movies could work, Mad Max created the post-apocalyptic template, and then there was 1979’s Alien. Ridley Scott’s horror masterpiece turned the Nostromo into a claustrophobic nightmare, introduced the Xenomorphs, and turned Sigourney Weaver into the first female sci-fi action star. Sci-fi horror had bene done before, but never this effectively, and the result is a movie nearly 50 years old that is still terrifying to watch today. Both Alien and its sequel, Aliens, are now streaming on Netflix.
In Space No One Can Hear You Scream
Alien took the concept behind Jaws and dialed it up to 11. Not only does it take a very long time to see the adult Xenomorph, but we have no idea what it’s capable of. How smart is it? How strong is it? Why is it’s blood acidic? How did the facehugger work? Can it even be killed? Ripley (Weaver) and the crew ask these questions alongside the audience. There’s no answers. That’s part of what makes it a classic.
Scott exercised restraint when making Alien. Even though it’s set in the far future, the ramshackle analog tech onboard the Nostromo give it a retro feel. All the advanced technology on board, including the AI “Mother,” is treated like basic work tools. That and the entire film has a single Xenomorph warrior trying to kill the crew. Imagine if there was more than one.
That’s the idea behind Aliens from 1986. The sequel shifted the genre from horror to action with explosions, flamethrowers, space marines, and instead of one Xenomorph, there’s hundreds, including the introduction of the Alien Queen. Few sequels are as satisfying as Aliens, which instead of trapping humans in a room with Xenomorphs, traps the Xenomorphs in a room with Ripley.
No Sequels, No Problem
The sequel was written and directed by James Cameron which is why it looks amazing, the pacing is nearly perfect, and it ends on such a high note audiences needed more Alien movies. Unfortunately, they got them, with mixed results. The rest of the franchise is missing from Netflix right now which, with the exception of Alien: Romulus and the FX series Alien: Earth, is not a bad thing. Aliens vs. Predator 2 is still one of the worst movies of all time. Netflix is doing you a favor by keeping it off the service right now.
From its early beginnings, the Alien franchise has been wildly successful. Even its missteps, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, did well at the box office and were at least solid enough to now be considered underappreciated. For 50 years, the franchise has gone through different creators, visionaries, writers, directors, all chasing the dragon of the original Alien. Few movies get to say they were so successful that ever movie in the genre afterwards owes it a debt. Alien is one of those iconic successes we only get once in a generation.
Alien and Aliens are now streaming on Netflix as part of the Aliens Collection.