Ridley Scott and his remarkable team of artists generated a perfect storm of cinematic magic back in 1979. Alien endures as a classic piece of science-fiction, brimming with palpable mythology, bolstered by a simple premise. The design and nature of the titular antagonist alone was profoundly compelling. Having struck gold, the franchise has been revisited to no end, resulting in numerous sequels, books, and even video games.
Regardless of the mixed critical responses and conflicting visions, the film saga has always proven surprisingly creative. The series has frequently produced some truly demented ideas and designs, which continue to haunt audiences and evolve. Here are just a few of the things that continue to give Alien fans the willies.
Weyland-Yutani
Terrifying Xenomorphs cocooning their victims for embryo implantation is horrible enough, but they’re nothing compared to the evils of the Weyland-Yutani corporation. This nefarious company represents a ruthless congregation of corporate zealots more concerned with the bottom line than people’s lives.
To acquire the Xenomorph, the company is willing to sacrifice anyone at any time. To those who are willing to play along, handsome bonuses and top-tier spots await. As Ripley once famously said, “… I don’t know which species is worse. You don’t see them fing each other over for a godd percentage.”
David (Prometheus/Alien: Covenant)
Long before Ash made waves as the Nostromo’s bad robot, David was up to even worse. Rather than cover for the company’s greed, David played an active role in aiding the development of the Xenomorph’s evolutionary cycle. In many ways, his research helped accelerate the creature into the form audiences know today.
Although this was a haphazard and self-defeating creative decision on the part of director Ridley Scott, it doesn’t detract away from how vicious, manipulative, and sociopathic David truly is. Though we may never get to see what happened to David (hopefully), his legacy as a triple-A monster will stand up for years.
Neomorphs (Alien: Covenant)
The Xenomorphs might be lethal and terrifying on their own, but their genetic predecessors are just as scary. Neomorphs are a primitive stage of the creature’s evolution. They’re fast, deadly, and they can take massive amounts of gunfire before dropping. In many ways, they’re more vicious and dangerous than the Xenomorphs themselves.
Several Neomoprhs pop up in Alien: Covenant and carnage always follows in their wake. They represent the baser elements of the alien’s physiology, acting on violent impulse rather than predatory stalking techniques.
Dark Corridors
There’s one thing more creepy than the aliens themselves, and that’s the locales they hide out in. Dark corridors are just one foreboding element of the Alien movies, and the creatures would be far less scary without them. Dimly lit hallways, creepy storage rooms, and claustrophobic vent shafts are the Xenomorph’s playground, and they use them to devastating effect.
Without a good line of sight or the ability to distinguish between an alien and a bulkhead, the human brain goes into panic mode almost immediately. Threats become larger than life, adrenaline flows like a faucet, and hearts threaten to burst out of chests like a newborn Xeno.
Ripley’s Nightmare (Aliens)
Aliens began on a high note with the terror notched up to 11. No sooner does Ripley manage to drift into the safe arms of Gateway Station in orbit around Earth than she begins falling victim to horrific nightmares about her encounter with the aliens.
The first time audiences suffered through Ripley’s nightmare was the hardest. It began with a hissing cat and ended with Ripley pulling up her shirt to reveal an alien embryo ready to burst free from her ribcage — all in terrifying slow motion. The movie’s scares were just beginning.
Failed Clones (Alien: Resurrection)
The unabashed B-movie sensibilities of the fourth film reveal just how fatigued the franchise became. The atmosphere of horror was essentially absent altogether, stripping the series of its core identity. However, the acting prowess of Sigourney Weaver must never be understated. She overcomes the needlessly bizarre concepts at every turn. And perhaps most of all during the reveal of Ellen Ripley’s failed clones.
They are far more disturbing than some schlocky hybrid-monster. The naked, mutated designs are horrific because of their humanity. And when Ripley discovers one of them is still alive, Weaver genuinely sells the poignant tragedy of killing her.
Backburster Neomorph (Alien: Covenant)
Alien: Covenant failed to choose a lane. It bends to the will of xenomorph demand but also indulges director Ridley Scott’s interest in androids and grandiose themes. Scott still uses horror imagery reminiscent of the original and incorporates some of James Cameron’s vision. But this aimless blend ultimately feels like more of the same, with no risk or evolution. And the foolish characters are befitting of any typical slasher.
Still, the backburster scene is a tastefully horrifying and compelling sequence. While the CGI suffered throughout the film, the practicals of the victims are utterly repulsive. The bursting itself is so delightfully abhorrent, the concept alone successfully sells the desperation in the ensuing chase.
The Xenomorph Dog (Alien 3)
Like Terminator: Dark Fate, removing beloved characters at the onset of your film is sure to cross fans’ arms throughout. This sequel, laden with hideous CGI, callously removes the heart of its predecessor. However, it was still directed by David Fincher, and the promise of his abilities do sneak through the notorious studio interference.
Now, in any movie, killing the dog is generally a bad idea. Viewers can often sympathize with animals and pets on screen far more than humans. John Wick built an entire franchise on that notion, regarding beloved dogs. And yet, one of the earlier victims of the third film is the resident dog Spike. It is conceptually disgusting, almost to the point of feeling distasteful. But Fincher’s creative eye capitalizes on all its potential horror.
Swarms (Aliens)
James Cameron introduced action to the series, brilliantly paced and directed. The tone was dramatically shifted, but achieved so effectively that the transition feels smooth and welcome. It also refrains from dipping into the same well, but there is certainly some iconic horror imagery in the second film. And while isolation may very well be the best catalyst for horror, Cameron makes quantity terrifying.
This seems unlikely, but Cameron uses the xenomorphs’ numbers to invoke a smothering atmosphere. For example, the remaining characters feel utterly trapped in a red-lit room towards the end of the film. Their motion sensor reveals an intrusion, and the entire scenario becomes an absolute nightmare after they check the ceiling.
Queen’s Nest (Aliens)
Perhaps one of the most revolting visuals in the series, the Queen’s nest is undeniably frightening. The apparent “egg sac” is a profoundly disturbing effect, and attached to a massive xenomorph. The Queen’s size alone is imposing, and the practical effects are unprecedented. Further, her very nature is repugnant, as we bear witness to her “birthing” process. This is even designed well enough to satisfy our imaginations’ worst images.
And the Queen’s resulting heaps of eggs are unnerving as always. Especially given that our protagonist Ellen Ripley accidentally stumbles into them, while trying to rescue an endearing character. The nest provides the perfect means for Ripley to face her fears. The setting feels genuinely inescapable, shocking, and overwhelming.
Derelict Ship (Alien)
Ridley Scott’s original film remains a staple of cinematic sci-fi horror, altogether. Its boldness, creative ingenuity, and mystery can hardly be replicated outside the franchise. It certainly won’t achieve that fever pitch again within the series itself. Because the mythology of the xenomorphs was completely novel, the original film wields the unknown to surgically impose fear. It was smart to set the story in space, where any fiction is acceptable, and conditions are already threatening.
The sheer mystery of the derelict ship invokes serious implications about existence, let alone alien threats. But the ship’s strange, mechanical designs are innately menacing and foreboding. The cargo could have included any horror imaginable, essentially representative of space itself.
Ash (Alien)
The very first film establishes Ridley Scott’s fascination with androids and their motivations. Scott would directly explore this with yet another sci-fi classic, Blade Runner. The most ominous aspect about AI is their reflection of humanity. They are subject to our flaws, yet surpass us both intellectually and physically.
In this film, Ash completely resembles a human, and his true nature is a shocking twist. He is unexpectedly powerful, nearly choking Ripley to death in a manner not unlike the facehuggers themselves. Further, Ash is an agent of corporate cruelty, reminding audiences that humans are always their own worst enemy.
Self-Surgery Squid (Prometheus)
Despite all the detractors of Prometheus, this scene stands alone. Even removed from context, this concept is possibly Ridley Scott’s most harrowing fright since his iconic chestburster. The natural process of impregnation and birth was mercilessly corrupted in the original film. Now, a fresh variation on that imagery results in a repulsive, hypnotic C-section from hell.
Firstly, Noomi Rapace is absolutely magnetic throughout the sequence. She sells every ounce of desperation, fear, and strength to overcome. Secondly, Scott’s camerawork is impeccable. Finally, the design and execution of the squid-like creature is totally convincing and ghastly. It is a Lovecraftian nightmare that encapsulates every fear of life growing within your body.
Facehugger (Alien)
Now come the inevitable selections, iconic enough to reach beyond genre, and even cinema itself. So ingrained in pop culture, that its effect is undeniable. The xenomorphs have always been reminiscent of insects, regarding their designs and nature. And facehuggers quite resemble spiders, with their numerous legs, agility, and leaps.
However, their invasive method of reproduction basically amounts to oral rape, which is ugly in every way. That its victims are implanted with an organism that will proceed to break free while the host is still alive, is further unsettling. But the facehugger itself—slimy, swift and impossible to remove—is a compelling mixture of many simple, yet brilliant ideas.
Original Xenomorph (Alien)
The might of the classic xenomorph is owed to numerous things. H.R. Giger’s influence was nothing less than genius, applying his innovative “biomechanical” artwork. The features are self-conflicting, between a machine’s cold utility and the natural. And the very familiarity of the xenomorph’s humanoid framework is instinctively disconcerting.
Besides the imagery, it is the final stage of an evolving threat. An adversary that changes so frequently in nature and appearance further fuels the mystery generated in the original film. When unable to anticipate or understand the enemy, there is nothing more frightening—particularly stranded in space.
