“Alien” Review

Ellen Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver, leads the cast of “Alien.”

Is there anything more terrifying than being trapped on a spaceship with an alien monster that will kill you as soon as it sees you? In the case of “Alien,” no. Don’t believe me? Just look at the tagline on the poster: “In Space No One Can Hear You Scream.” 

I first saw “Alien” when I was 17 and was home alone, I had just gotten off of work and it was 9 p.m. So, I made some popcorn, shut off all of the lights and watched the film. I was on the edge of the couch from start to finish and was terrified by the sense of isolation and the titular monster.

Released in 1979 and helmed by director Ridley Scott, “Alien” sees the seven person crew of the spaceship “Nostromo” awakened from hypersleep to respond to a distress signal on the planet LV-426. When one of the crew brings back an alien parasite and gives birth to a monster, the creature hides in the gigantic spaceship and starts taking out the crew one at a time.

The best way to judge a horror film is by the characters in peril. Are they investing? Are they relatable? “Alien’s” characters are fantastic and the first half of the film is strictly focused on the crew of the Nostromo. The entire crew has a solid group dynamic with Dallas (Tom Skerritt) as the captain, Ash (Ian Holm) as the science officer, and Parker (Yaphet Kotto) and Brett (Harry Dean Stanton) as mechanics.

(From Left) Ash, Ellen Ripley, Dallas and Kane, played by Ian Holm, Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt and John Hurt, examine a monitor on the Nostromo spaceship.

By the time the Alien creature does appear, all of these characters are established and it’s easy to be scared for them because we genuinely want to see them survive. 

The film itself doesn’t have a definite main character until the second half of the film where Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) steps up to fight this creature. 

Ellen Ripley remains, to this day, one of my favorite protagonists in film. 

The way Ripley conducts herself throughout the film with a clear head while her crewmates are panicking is refreshing because she’s not a typical scream queen. She doesn’t take any crap and offers the most logic throughout the film. 

This is especially evident when Kane (John Hurt) has the facehugger attached to his face and Dallas and Lambert (Veronica Cartwright) are pleading to be let into the spaceship. Ripley says that she can’t because it would violate quarantine and it’s only because Ash opens the door that they get in. So, if the crew had listened to Ripley, the Alien wouldn’t have gotten on the ship.

The idea is incredible because of the sense of isolation that the film creates. The best horror films often have a feeling of being trapped. Whenever it seems that the protagonist can’t escape the monster, the danger is larger and the fear grows. This is why isolation horror is my favorite subgenre of horror.

From being snowed in at the Overlook Hotel in “The Shining '' to being trapped in an Antarctic outpost in “The Thing,” being stuck with a dark entity with no escape is the scariest thing imaginable. The Nostromo itself is a well designed location with every inch of the ship, with the exception of the sleeping pods, feeling grimy and lived-in. 

Before the 1970s, very few spaceships in film were dirty. In fact, they were unnaturally clean. Ships like the “Discovery One” in “2001: A Space Odyssey” were made with bright colors, white surfaces and looked like an IKEA display as opposed to a real spacecraft. “Star Wars” and “Alien” were big proponents of making the film’s environments seem realistic. 

While three-dimensional horror villains like Norman Bates from “Psycho” and Buffalo Bill in “Silence of the Lambs” are compelling, being hunted by an animal like the Alien is scary beyond imagination. Everything about the titular creature is frightening, especially the design by H.R. Giger. The way the Alien is born and the way it kills is especially violating on a sexual level. 

The infamous “chestburster” scene best shows this terror. It’s important to note that the actors had no idea that there would be this much blood so their reactions are completely genuine. That gore was also real with cattle guts being purchased from a butcher shop. The scene was only shot in a couple of takes because the lights were cooking the guts. 

This scene is perfect because of the amount of buildup that it takes before anything happens. Scott is slowly building up suspense and the result is a disturbing death. 

This scene is perfect because of the amount of buildup that it takes before anything happens. Scott is slowly building up suspense and the result is a disturbing death. 

While the theatrical cut is well-made, the director’s cut of “Alien” is superior with new scenes that add more to the experience. If given the choice, pick the director’s cut nine times out of nine. 

Another aspect of “Alien” to mention is the incredible trailer. It gives away nothing and slowly builds tension with a whirring siren in the background. The editing is quick and scary, perfectly giving the viewer just enough information to make them want to see this film.

“Alien” is one of the best horror films ever made and its groundbreaking effects, characters and use of suspense make it a must-watch for any horror junkie.