1979 / 116m - USA
Horror, Sci-fi
3.5*/5.0*
Alien poster

Watches

December 30, 2003

4.0*/5.0*

January 10, 2022

3.5*/5.0*

Alien used to be a top personal favorite of mine when I was younger, but with every consecutive viewing, the film has gotten worse. Not the Giger/industrial design part, that's still pretty great. Everything around it though is really starting to show its age, and it has come to a point where I just can't call it a personal favorite anymore.

When the crew of a spaceship wakes up, it becomes clear that they haven't arrived at their destination just yet. The central computer woke them up after receiving a distress call and their contract forces them to inspect the situation. The call comes from an alien planet, so they have no choice but to go out and explore the source of the signal.

The xenomorph is still one of my all-time favorite creatures, but Scott's film doesn't do Giger's designs justice. The performances and characters are rather tepid, the music is a little silly, the editing is rough, and the tech designs are often nonsensical. And then there's the ending, which is a total disgrace. There are still moments of genius, the lighting and interior design are pretty rad, but it's not enough anymore to ignore the film's faults.