Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott (Gladiator), starring Tom Skerritt (Whiteout), Sigourney Weaver (A Monster Calls), Veronica Cartwright (The Invasion), Harry Dean Stanton (The Green Mile), John Hurt (Hellboy), Ian Holm (The Fifth Element), and Yaphet Kotto (Live and Let Die). The film follows the crew of the commercial space tug Nostromo, who encounter a deadly and aggressive extraterrestrial set loose on the ship.

The movie follows the crew of the Nostromo, who pick up a transmission on an unknown planet. When they arrive one of their crew is infected with an unknown parasite. When the parasite gets loose on the ship, the crew struggle to find the creature and stop it from killing them. The story goes at a slow pace but the interesting world, well-written characters, and mounting suspense make the slow burn well worth the watch. It’s intriguing with a nice little twist and an ending that’s both intense yet satisfying. (4 out of 5)

One of the best aspects of the film are the characters. The crew consist of Dallas, Ripley, Ash, Kane, Parker, and Lambert. They’re likable, they’re relatable. They have really good chemistry and their dialogue feels authentic. Sometimes it’s hard creating characters audiences can care about and root for, however Scott does a great job. The characters aren’t stupid. Everything they do feels logical, a league up on most characters in a horror movie who’re either over-the-top in personality or just fucking stupid. (4 out of 5)

The casting and performances are just topnotch. The cast includes Tom Skerritt (Dallas), Sigourney Weaver (Ripley), Veronica Cartwright (Lambert), Harry Dean Stanton (Brett), John Hurt (Kane), Ian Holm (Ash) and Yaphey Kotto (Parker). I like the chemistry that the crew has, you can definitely tell that they brought their A game. (5 out of 5)

Thumbs up to the makeup design team as I love the look and feel of the Alien creature. They’ve definitely managed to bring this creature to life, giving it a strong presence onscreen. The costume and prosthetics are top quality and still hold up pretty well in an era where directors are so gung-ho to jump to CGI. The practical effects of the facehugger were good. The set pieces are good, with the ship as important as the characters. There are so many good locations that help make the scenes feel just as unique as the actions. The camera work also deserves some praise. One of the best shots is Kane coming into the chamber with all the eggs. (4 out of 5)

The score is just absolutely brilliant. It manages to cycle through so many themes and undertones through the movie. There are moments where it’s as isolating as the space the crew are traveling through, or as efficient as the computers and electronics of the ship, or as chilling as the alien’s ever growing presence. Jerry Goldsmith helms the score and just shows a strong talent for maintaining the tension while providing depth with subtlety. (4 out of 5)

Let’s talk about the direction, which was directed by Ridley Scott. This movie has been stated as one of the bench marks of science fiction horror, and few can make an argument against this. Scott manages to take an interesting premise and actually make the scares feel genuine without having to resort to cheap jumpscares, create a growing sense of dread and suspense, and utilize the ship in very effective ways to help ramp up the intensity.

The editing and transitions were done well enough to help the storytelling. There’s not really a scene that doesn’t feel like it shouldn’t have been in the movie. When it comes to the violence, blood, and gore, the film is surprisingly reserved. And this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Just like with the scares. What makes them so chilling and so effective is how well the suspense builds before the kill. Before we see the shot of the alien before it catches its prey. If more horror films had writing and direction like this we wouldn’t have so many crappy movies. (4 out of 5)

In the end, Alien is one of those films you can honestly see why it’s a classic. There’s a lot to take away from watching this movie. You have good characters, an interesting story, great use of special effects, good writing and direction, a great cast, and music that just amps up the tension. For every science fiction horror fan out there, I highly recommend this movie. Alien gets 4 out of 5.