Halloween season is approaching, so why not host a house party and binge-watch spooky Alien movies?
Alien movies have gained worldwide praise, and the target audiences are mostly thrill-loving audiences like Gen-Z. So, if you want to feel a thriller experience on a crazy night, follow our list as we have ranked all the alien movies below.
The seventh sequel of one of the best alien movies—Alien (1979)—came out in theaters and gained praise among sci-fi fans. The original movie is now about a half-century old, but still, the craze among the fans is unmatchable.
Here is the Alien movie series ranked along with a crisp summary to help you get the hang of these movies!
Prometheus is widely viewed as a prequel to Alien (1979). A team of explorers discovers the clue to the origin of extraterrestrial creatures. The creatures are addressed as “Xenomorphs,” and they are also featured in the first movie of Alien. Prometheus also discusses the origin of the alien queen embryo in Ellen’s body.
Alien: Covenant is widely viewed as a second prequel to Alien 1979 following Prometheus. The Alien: Covenant story starts with an accident onboard a colony ship headed towards a planet. The characters of this movie are directly linked with the first movie of the Alien series; that’s why watching it first will help you get a better understanding of the entire franchise.
The “Alien 1979” movie stands out as ground-breaking science fiction and is considered one of the scariest alien movies till today. The plot line of the movie revolves around the crew members on board trying to save themselves from a strange creature, struggling to survive, and attempting to destroy the creature. Things take a turn when an on-board member named Ken gets attacked by the strange creature.
Alien: Romulus reveals the big ‘Xenomorph’ who attacked Ken in the first movie but somehow managed to survive till the end. At the end of the movie, the space team discovered the fact that Xenomorph has recovered. In the above parts of Alien 1979, it was considered dead. Alien: Romulus ends with an open ending. Stay tuned to find out if the alien is dead or alive!!!
The “Aliens 1986” plot line revolves around the only survivor, Ellen Ripley, who is found 57 years later during marine salvage. Ripley discovers shocking facts about her ship, Moon LV-426, where Ken encountered his first alien attack. She is called by her officials as an advisor to the team. Binge-watch to find out: Will Ellen Ripley survive this time!?
In ‘Alien 3,” Ellen lands on a prison planet, Fiorina 161. Upon fighting against the aliens, she discovers she is carrying an ‘alien queen embryo’ that could produce thousands of eggs. At the end of ‘Alien 3’, during the attack, an alien queen embryo burst out of Ellen’s chest. Watch to find out: Did the alien queen embryo survive!?
Out of all the four parts, “Alien: Resurrection” is the first and best of the Alien movie series, which is more based on dark humor. It shows the narrative after the 200 years of “Alien 3” with our female ‘Ellen Ripley’. Although she probably died in the third part, the writers managed to bring her back into the story with a twisted turn.
Here are the scariest alien movies for sci-fi and space fanatics who love exploring movies related to the outer planets and universe. Luckily, we have provided a crisp summary for a quick synopsis. So, let’s get started and plan the movie night.
This movie has a unique storyline where a group of youngsters is celebrating a surprise farewell party to bid their friend goodbye. Amidst that, they get interrupted by an earthquake, followed by a monster overpowering them. Cloverfield is officially followed by two sequels, “10 Cloverfield Lane” and “The Cloverfield Paradox.” This movie is considered to be the best alien movie, that’s why the sequel to the original Cloverfield is soon to be released.
Famous Dialogue: You just need to say ‘forget the world’ and hold on to the people that you care about the most.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV
IMDB Ratings: 7.0/10
Genre: Sci-fi/Horror
Director: Matt Reeves
Year of Release: 2008
Watch time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Famous Dialogue: “The People That Are Left, They’re Not The Kind Of People Worth Saving.”
Where to watch: Netflix and Amazon Prime Video
IMDB Ratings: 7.5 out of 10
Genre: Mystery/Horror
Director: John Krasinski
Year of Release: 2018
Watch Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
“Invasion of Body Snatchers” is an adaptation of Don Siegel’s version of 1955. When a doctor receives the same kind of complaints from his patients, their loved ones seem to be replaced by emotionless fraudsters most likely to be aliens. The plot takes a turn when the doctor faces the same problem.
Famous Dialogue: “I don’t want to live in a world without love, grief, or beauty; I’d rather die.”
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV
IMDB Ratings: 7.7 out of 10
Genre: Sci-fi/Horror
Director: Don Siegel
Year of Release: 1956
Watch time: 1 hour, 55 minutes
Under the Skin is another scariest alien movies in which an alien woman roams in the evening late at night on the streets of Scotland to seduce abandoned men. Critics stated this is the opposite of a traditional story; it is more based on the power of lust, the height of sexism, and gender roles. Things take a turn when she re-discovers herself!?
Famous Dialogues:“Sometimes you find someone who surprises you. And sometimes the people you have known your whole life turn out to be the ones who surprise you the most.”“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV
IMDB Ratings: 6.5 out of 10
Genre: Sci-fi/Thriller
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Year of Release: 2013
Watch time: 1 hour, 48 minutes
The plot of Attack the Block is regarded as one of the scariest alien movies, which revolves around a teen gang with a criminal mindset. They rob people at night and consider this an appropriate option for making money. Things take a turn when they rob the purse of a lady, and later on, when they look into it for valuable stuff, they find a strange creature. Watch to find out what that was.
Famous Dialogue: “The block in “Attack the Block” is just not a physical thing; it’s people; it’s families.”
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV
IMDB Ratings: 6.7 out of 10
Genre: Sci-fi/Thriller
Director: Joe Cornish
Year of Release: 2011
Watch time: 1 hour, 28 minutes
“Captive State” has a unique storyline where the residents of Chicago are oppressed by alien forces for nine years. This movie talks about the struggles and consequences of being invaded by aliens on the residents. Watch to find out how their lives take a turn and see whether they’ll be able to survive the alien invasion.
Famous Dialogue: What if they failed on purpose?
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV
IMDB Ratings: 6 out of 10
Genre: Sci-fi/Thriller
Director: Ruper Wyatt
Year of Release: 2019
Watch time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
A Space Odyssey storyline revolves around a black structure from another planet approaching Earth. When the astronauts are sent on a mission, their computer system starts functioning strangely, possibly because of the black creature. It provides a connection between the past and future; watch to find out what that black creature was.
Famous Dialogue: “Unless you obey my instructions, I shall be forced to disconnect you.”
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV
IMDB Ratings: 8.3 out of 10
Genre: Satire/Sci-fi/Comedy
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Year of Release: 1968
Watch time: 2 hours, 29 minutes
“The Man Who Fell on Earth” is adapted from a famous novel by Walter Trevis. It is based on a humanoid alien who comes to Earth to get water for his dying planet and family. Things take a turn when he falls in love on Earth. Will he take the love of his life to the other planet, or destroy something on Earth? Watch to find out.
Famous Dialogue: “The strange thing about television is that it doesn’t *tell* you everything. It *shows* you everything about life on Earth, but the true mysteries remain.”
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV
IMDB Ratings: 7.3 out of 10
Genre: Satire/Sci-fi/Thriller
Director: Nicolas Roeg
Year of Release: 1976
Watch time: 2 hours, 19 minutes
Spaceballs was more praised as a parody than a satire and remains to be one of the best alien movies till this very day. It has references from the famous trilogy “Star Wars.” The plot of Spaceball revolves around two friends who go on a mission to rescue the princess with a space rogue alien named Lone Starr. Critics praised the plot and the references used in Spaceballs from the different movies; it added a charm and hint of curiosity among the viewers.
Famous Dialogue: “You Are Ugly When You’re Angry”
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV
IMDB Ratings: 7.1 out of 10
Genre: Satire/Sci-fi/Thriller
Director: Mel Brooks
Year of Release: 1987
Watch time: 1 hour, 36 minutes
Alien movies engage audiences with their adventures, graphics, sound quality, and narratives. Though these movies continue to flourish among teens and adults, watching alien movies can be beneficial for kids to strengthen their critical thinking, creativity, and instinct. Here is a curated list of handpicked alien movies for your kids.
“The Iron Giant” is an animated movie specifically made for kids. Its story revolves around a young boy who befriends an alien. Nine-year-old Howgart is fascinated to hear UFO stories, always on a mission to find out aliens. Things take a turn when he finds one and tries to save him from the assigned government agent.
Famous Dialogue: “Who cares what these creeps think of you? They don’t make you what you are; you do. You are who you choose to be.”
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV
IMDB Ratings: 8.1 out of 10
Genre: Family/Sci-fi
Director: Brad Bird
Year of Release: 1999
Watch time: 1 hour, 23 minutes
“E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” plot revolves around a young boy who becomes friends with an alien, stuck on Earth with no purpose. The young boy and his friends help the alien find his ship and make its way back to his home. It is the epitome of love, care, and kindness among the kids.
Famous Dialogue: “I’ll believe in you all my life, every day. E.T., I love you.”
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV
IMDB Ratings: 7.9 out of 10
Genre: Family/Sci-fi
Director: Steven Spielberg
Year of Release: 1982
Watch time: 1 hour, 52 minutes
It is an alien-themed movie and the story revolves around Megamind, who is portrayed as an alien supervillain at first. Megamind creates a superhero to protect the world but it turns out to be evil. Things take a surprising turn when he has to give up on this negativity and save the natives from his creation, which is much worse than he was. The amazing twists and turns in this story make it the best alien movies for kids.
Famous Dialogue: “There’s a benefit to losing: You get to learn from your mistakes.”
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV
IMDB Ratings: 7.3 out of 10
Genre: Family/Sci-fi
Director: Tom McGrath
Year of Release: 2010
Watch time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
“Super 8” story revolves around strange incidents happening in a small town, followed by a train crash. A group of friends were making their movie Super 8 and suspected the train was intentional. Mysterious events started to take place, and when an official started investigating, the mystery unfolded.
Famous Dialogue: “She used to look at me… this way, like really look… and I just knew I was there… that I existed.”
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV
IMDB Ratings: 7 out of 10
Genre: Family/Sci-fi
Director: J.J Abrams
Year of Release: 2011
Watch time: 1 hour, 52 minutes
“Lilo and Stich,” is an animated science-fiction comedy film. The plot of Lilo and Stitch revolves around the character Stitch, who is a creature (alien) created by a scientist. Stitch wanted freedom since he had been created. The plot takes an amazing turn; Stitch escapes and goes to Earth.
Famous Dialogue: “This is my family. I found it, all on my own. It’s little and broken, but still good. Yeah. Still good.”
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV
IMDB Ratings: 7.3 out of 10
Genre: Family/Sci-fi/Thriller
Director: Chris Sanders, and Dean DeBlois
Year of Release: 2002
Watch time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
These are some of the best alien movies in different sub-genres to make your adrenaline rush. These movie suggestions are mostly for thrill-loving cine freaks. If you’re a horror fanatic, you should check out our 20 best horror movies. Moreover, stay tuned for more updates regarding the sequels and new movie releases.
After considering the growth and momentum of sci-fi movies and fiction, it is fair enough to say we can expect more potential viewers in this genre and subgenre. Sci-fi connects with every kind of audience, from kids and teens to adults.
Research and potential viewers say “Alien: Romulus” has an open ending that can be seen converting into a sequel. This solely depends upon the popularity and demand of “Alien: Romulus.”
Considering the amount of people giving ratings at IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, it is fair enough to believe a movie having good ratings at both of these sites can be considered good enough to give it a try.
