Alien

97% of critics liked it

90% of users liked it

Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver
In theaters Jan 01, 1979
R, 1 hr. 57 min.

Movie Info

Cast: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Yaphet Kotto, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Bolaji Badejo, Helen Horton
Director: Ridley Scott
Rated: R
Running Time: 1 hr. 57 min.
Genre: Mystery & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Theater Release: Jan 01, 1979
DVD Release: Jan 06, 2004
Synopsis: "In space, no one can hear you scream." A close encounter of the third kind becomes a Jaws-style nightmare when an alien invades a spacecraft in Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror classic. On the way home from a mission for the Company, the Nostromo's crew is woken up from hibernation by the ship's Mother computer to answer a distress signal from a nearby planet. Capt. Dallas's (Tom Skerritt) rescue team discovers a bizarre pod field, but things get even stranger when a face-hugging creature bursts

Critic Reviews

  • Erik Lundegaard, Seattle Times
    The most startling thing watching Alien again is its pacing. For the first 45 minutes, little happens. It's all slow, exquisite build-up, which makes the second half seem all the more horrific. More...
  • Frank Rich, TIME Magazine
    It is depressing to watch an expensive, crafty movie that never soars beyond its cold desire to score the big bucks. More...
  • Geoff Andrew, Time Out
    The limited strengths of its staple sci-fi horrors always derived from either the offhand organic/ Freudian resonances of its design or the purely (brilliantly) manipulative editing and pacing of its above-average shock quota. More...
  • Variety Staff, Variety
    An old-fashioned scary movie set in a highly realistic sci-fi future, made all the more believable by expert technical craftmanship. More...
  • Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
    An empty-headed horror movie with nothing to recommend it beyond the disco-inspired art direction and some handsome, if gimmicky, cinematography. More...
  • Keith Uhlich, Time Out New York
    The limited strengths of its staple sci-fi horrors always derived from either the offhand organic/ Freudian resonances of its design or the purely (brilliantly) manipulative editing and pacing of its above-average shock quota. More...
  • Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle
    A genuine fright classic. More...
  • Vincent Canby, New York Times
    These things no longer surprise or tantalize us as they once did. In a very short time, science-fiction films have developed their own jargon that's now become a part of the grammar. More...
  • Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
    Alien will upset your mind and upset your stomach. More...
  • Glenn Abel, Hollywood Reporter
    Alien looks amazing, almost like a new film. More...