Everybody’s favourite apex house predator, the xenomorph of the Alien franchise, returned to terrorize audiences with Alien: Romulus final summer season, and now the legendary science fiction saga is coming to tv for the primary time. Alien: Earth, the franchise’s debut TV collection, premiered on FX and Hulu on August 12, 2025, bringing the enduring creatures to the small display screen and giving viewers a glimpse of latest, terrifying territory within the Alien universe.
Earlier than you topic your self to a different spherical of terrifying, deep-space suspense, it’s a superb time to stand up to hurry on the entire Alien franchise. Luckily, you may watch all the Alien motion pictures on DIRECTV, in addition to the brand new TV collection! Sign up today!
Right here’s your information to watching all the Alien motion pictures (and TV present), both so as from greatest to worst (primarily based on consensus) or chronologically.
How Many ‘Alien’ Films Are There?
At the moment, there are seven Alien motion pictures, or 9 if you happen to rely the 2 crossover movies with the Predator franchise, spanning almost 50 years of theatrical filmmaking. The primary movie, Ridley Scott’s Alien, was launched in 1979 and the newest, Alien: Romulus, got here out in 2024.
Ridley Scott has directed three of the Alien movies (Alien, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant). Scott went on to develop into a fixture of science fiction movies, directing traditional movies comparable to Blade Runner, Avatar, The Terminator and Terminator II: Judgement Day.
Different Alien collection administrators have included James Cameron, David Fincher, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Paul W.S. Anderson, the Brothers Straus and most just lately, Fede Álvarez.
What About ‘Alien: Earth’?
Whereas not a theatrical launch, Alien: Earth, considerably expands the franchise canon as the primary tv collection within the Alien universe. As is the advantage of a full TV season, Alien: Earth will present followers a extra in depth have a look at varied storylines and characters inside the established mythology.
To get a full overview of the brand new Alien franchise addition, take a look at this Alien: Earth Watch Guide.
‘Alien’ Films in Order: Watch Chronologically
We’ll get into our rating of the Alien motion pictures in a bit, however if you wish to get the complete Alien expertise, it’s greatest to look at the collection in chronological order.
However the place does Alien: Earth fall into the chronological storyline, you surprise? Alien: Earth is ready precisely two years earlier than the occasions of Ridley Scott’s Alien, within the 12 months 2120, making it a direct prequel to the unique movie that began all of it.
Right here’s the chronological order to look at to get the complete story to date:
- Alien vs. Predator (2004)
- Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
- Prometheus (2012)
- Alien: Covenant (2017)
- Alien: Earth (2025)
- Alien (1979)
- Alien: Romulus (2024)
- Aliens (1986)
- Alien 3 (1992)
- Alien: Resurrection (1997)
Which ‘Alien’ Films Ought to You Completely Watch Earlier than ‘Alien: Earth’?
Whereas the brand new TV collection is written in a approach that new viewers can soar proper in, there’s some profit to watching the movies that come earlier than the brand new collection in cannon order. Meaning you’d have to look at Alien vs. Predator (2004), Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007), Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017).
That being stated, the crossover Alien-Predator movies are kind of their very own distinctive factor, so we don’t count on them to instantly tie into the story of the brand new Alien collection. You need to have the ability to begin with Prometheus and haven’t any points.
We nonetheless advocate watching your entire collection although!
All the ‘Alien’ Films, Ranked
So which Alien film reigns supreme? Right here’s our listing of all the motion pictures within the Alien franchise, ranked from greatest to worst.
Whereas we received’t add Alien: Earth to the ranked listing, because it’s harder to precisely examine a television collection with motion pictures, primarily based on early critiques (IMDb: 8.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 93% | Metacritic: 84%), the collection would fall between Alien and Aliens, that are ranked 1 and a couple of on the listing.
*** Minor spoilers forward ***
1. ‘Alien’
IMDb: 8.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 93% | Metacritic: 89%
It’s laborious to beat the traditional. Alien began all of it, introducing us to what’s arguably probably the most anxiety-inducing extraterrestrial killing machine ever devised within the franchises’ iconic antagonist, the H.R. Giger-designed xenomorph. The motion begins when the crew of the spacecraft Nostromo is woke up to analyze one other derelict ship in deep house. What follows is without doubt one of the most memorable misadventures in all of science fiction as Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and the remainder of the ship’s crew desperately attempt to kill the alien creature and escape to security.
Alien is a masterclass in tension-building directing, and it additionally contains one of the crucial iconic scenes within the franchise, and within the style at giant: the second the alien bursts forth from a crew member’s chest within the mess corridor and escapes into the ship’s depths to start its rampage.
2. ‘Aliens’
IMDb: 8.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 94% | Metacritic: 84%
Aliens picks up the place the primary movie left off, with Ripley once more waking from stasis solely to search out that the corporate she works for, Weyland-Yutani Company, is colonizing the planet the place the xenomorph is suspected to have originated. What may presumably go improper?
Aliens expands on the Alien mythos by exploring Weyland-Yutani’s nefarious targets with the xenomorphs in far more depth, setting the stage for the following movies. It’s massive unhealthy even additionally even greater and badder than the monster from the primary movie. This one is required viewing within the Alien franchise and top-of-the-line sci-fi sequels ever made.
3. ‘Alien: Romulus’
IMDb: 7.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 80% | Metacritic: 64%
Romulus was a welcomed addition to the franchise, bringing again a lot of the adventurous storytelling and deeply anxiety-inducing pressure that made the primary two movies the classics that they’re as we speak. Critics praised the movie’s visuals, pressure and Cailee Spaeny’s efficiency, amongst different issues.
Set in 2142, the movie provides viewers a glimpse into the time between the unique two movies, a beforehand unexplored period. It follows a gaggle of house colonists who hatch a plan to flee their oppressive mining colony, inadvertently releasing facehugger parasites and sparking a catastrophic onboard disaster.
4. ‘Prometheus’
IMDb: 7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 73% | Metacritic: 64%
Prometheus wasn’t terribly well-received upon its launch regardless of the movie marking Ridley Scott’s return to the franchise attributable to its at-times complicated plot traces and free ends, however it’s nonetheless one of many stronger and most well-produced movies within the collection.
Prometheus is an origin story for the xenomorph species, following the crew of the starship Prometheus as they search the celebs for the origin of life on the behest of — you guessed it — Peter Weyland of Weyland-Yutani Company fame.
Michael Fassbender’s portrayal of the sinister android David is a standout efficiency on this film.
5. ‘Alien: Covenant’
IMDb: 6.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 65% | Metacritic: 65%
Prometheus was broadly criticized for its many plot holes, so Ridley Scott bought proper to work attempting to fill a few of them with the movie’s sequel, Alien: Covenant. This movie is designed to tie the story from Prometheus to the broader Alien universe, and once more follows the android David after the occasions of Prometheus and his equivalent and benevolent counterpart, Walter, who arrives with the crew of the colonization ship Covenant, to deliver the origin story of the xenomorph house.
This movie nonetheless wasn’t as beloved as the unique Alien movies, however it makes a superb quick comply with to Prometheus.
6. ‘Alien 3’
IMDb: 6.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 44% | Metacritic: 59%
Regardless of its place within the authentic trilogy of Alien movies, Alien 3 lands a bit additional down this listing. Story-wise, the movie kills off a number of main characters and most take into account its plot to be among the many weakest of the Alien movies. Actually, director David Fincher went to nice lengths to distance himself from the work, which was his first movie.
The film as soon as once more options Ellen Ripley, following her crew after they crash land on a planet with an deserted jail on it. Ripley simply can’t appear to shake the xenomorphs, and one in all them as soon as once more hitches a journey on her ship earlier than escaping to wreak havoc and pressure Ripley and the jail’s inmate inhabitants right into a battle for survival.
7. ‘Alien Resurrection’
IMDb: 6.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 55% | Metacritic: 62%
Ripley’s again once more, albeit in a distinct kind (We received’t spoil it for you right here!) within the chronologically newest entry within the Alien franchise with Alien: Resurrection. Resurrection was the final principal Alien movie within the authentic storyline earlier than future movies pivoted to concentrate on the origin tales and Predator crossovers. This one didn’t fairly seize the enduring thriller tone of its predecessors and had a distinctly extra motion film-esque vibe, however it’s nonetheless value a watch to deliver house the saga of Ellen Ripley.
8. ‘Alien vs. Predator’
IMDb: 5.7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 21% | Metacritic: 29%
Alien vs. Predator and its sequel are on the backside of this listing as a result of they’re early examples of revolutionary cross-over filmmaking and plenty of enjoyable to look at, however they’re simply not true Alien movies. That stated, each of those motion pictures mix parts from two of probably the most well-known sci-fi movie franchises into one wonderful, gory mess the place two of probably the most adept hunter species within the universe attempt to out-do one another at their favourite sport.
9. ‘Alien vs Predator: Requiem’
IMDb: 4.6/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 12% | Metacritic: 29%
Requiem picks up instantly the place the unique Alien vs. Predator left off and takes the notion of a crossover to its excessive: It includes a hybrid xenomorph-Predator species known as, predictably, a Predalien and the efforts of a talented veteran Predator as he hunts it all the way down to eradicate it whereas it terrorizes a Colorado city. On the entire, this film was broadly panned because the worst of each the Predator and Alien franchises.
Watch ‘Alien’ Films & Alien: Earth on DIRECTV
Seize your anti-alien liquid oxygen tanks, harpoon launcher or shoulder-mounted plasma blaster and prepare to tackle the xenomorph within the Alien motion pictures on DIRECTV.
And, you may watch the model new collection on FX! Get your DIRECTV subscription as we speak and begin watching.
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