10 Reasons Why You Should Love Alien

Alien has to be one of the all-time great sci-fi horror films. As old as it is, it has stood the test of time, still admired by generations of fans more than 40 years on.

I remember when it was first released - the hype was tremendous, and the tagline was enthralling: “In space, no one can hear you scream.”  The teenage me and my equally excited friends queued right around the block and, as there was only one screen at the local cinema in those days, I was anxious that we wouldn’t get a seat. 

And yet, despite all the excitement, I came away a little disappointed. I thought it was a very good film, but maybe as an overexcited teenager, I was expecting more action, gore and shock value. I came to realise, when I watched it again a few years later, that Ridley Scott delivered a slow-burn masterpiece. Since then, Alien has become one of those rare films I return to for repeat viewings.

Here are ten things, in no particular order, I loved about Alien - mild disappointment notwithstanding - on that first viewing. In the unlikely event that you haven't seen this film, I should warn that this piece contains spoilers.

1. Sigourney Weaver Was in it

Relatively unknown before this film, Weaver impressed Scott with her audition after a recommendation based on her stage work. The fact that she was offered the role is even more impressive given that a) It was written for a man and b) more well-known names such as Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren and Geneviève Bujold were reportedly considered for the part. But at six feet tall with a commanding screen presence and that magnificent head of hair, she was a stand-out choice in more ways than one. 

2. The Environment is Amazing

At the time, I didn’t know what “production design” meant, but even then, it was obvious that the Nostromo was something special and unsettling. Designed by Ron Cobb, the ship was the complete opposite of the sanitised world of Star Trek’s USS Enterprise. Grimy, mechanical, and claustrophobic the hulking corridors seemed to hum with quiet menace. Combined with the magnificent tech design (which I still think is cool), it made you feel that you weren’t just watching a sci-fi film. You were trapped inside it, with nowhere to run.

3. The Chest-Burster Scene
Well, what more can you say about one of cinema’s most infamous scenes? Shocking, bloody, and terrifying, this moment is a part of film history for good reason. The crew, stunned by both the sight and the speed of the creature, are slow to react having no idea of the horror about to be unleashed by this deadly alien. It’s been reported that Ridley Scott deliberately kept the full details of the scene from the cast in order to capture their authentic fear and surprise. It worked beautifully; their visible shock is one of the reasons the scene remains so powerful even now.

4. The Female Characters Don’t Wear Make-up
One of the first things that struck me was how natural the women looked. No perfect make-up or carefully styled hair. At the time, I was growing increasingly weary of seeing female characters in perilous situations looking like they’d stepped out of a beauty salon. In this setting, the women looked actually looked like they’d emerged from hyper-sleep and were ready to tackle the physically demanding work. There was something refreshing about that, making the characters feel relatable and more convincing as experienced space travellers.

5. The Alien

The Xenomorph is an unknowable creature driven to kill and to survive, which made it far more terrifying than anything I'd seen up until then. How do you defeat something that moves silently and at speed, blends perfectly with its surroundings and has acid for blood that melts metal with ease. And that second set of slavering jaws, which could punch through bone in an instant, was fearsome enough on its own. A perfect killing machine, unfettered by conscience or reason and and the less you saw of it, the scarier it got. A true nightmare.

6. Ash's Double Cross

Ash's character always seemed a little off, with something about him that wasn't quite right. But even so, I didn’t see the shock twist coming. His reveal as both android and company stooge - who tries to murder Ripley in one of the film’s most disturbing scenes - was genuinely shocking. What made it even more chilling was the cold admiration he expressed for the alien. He describes it as “unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality.” In that moment, "the company" (the Weyland-Yutani Corporation) and the creature felt like two sides of the same coin and left you wondering whether the alien or the people who wanted it were more dangerous.

7. Ripley’s Transformation

I mention Ripley a lot and with good reason. Without her, there is no Alien. The alien wasn’t the only one who evolved and Ripley, initially cautious and bound by company rules (sensibly, as it turns out), adapts and blossoms into the all action hero she probably never wanted to be. Interestingly, it’s been said that Sigourney Weaver’s role was originally intended for Veronica Cartwright, and vice versa. Looking back, it’s almost impossible to picture them swapped. Weaver is Ripley, and her transformation is as essential to the film’s power as any creature effect.

8. The Big Names Get Picked Off

Sigourney Weaver may have been a newcomer, but the rest of the cast, while not megastars, were familiar enough faces that you’d reasonably expect at least one of them to make it to the end as the Final Girl or Boy. But Alien subverts that expectation and the crew are picked off one by one in brutal, terrifying fashion, with no regard for who is recognisable. It kept us guessing and by the time Ripley is left to face the nightmare alone, it's clear that no one was safe. 

9. The Tagline

“In space, no one can hear you scream.” The minute I heard that line, I was hooked. It was simple, chilling, and effective, summoning images of isolation in the vast emptiness of space, where no help is coming and no one even knows you’re in danger. That tagline captured the primal-fear mood of the film, and I couldn’t wait to see it play out on screen. A genius piece of marketing.

10. Ripley Saves the Cat

Jones, the ship's cat, served as the canary in the coalmine, stealthily navigating the shadows and being acutely aware of the dangers on board. As pest controller in chief and companion to the crew on a long journey, he became a symbol of hope as well as comfort to Ripley on her fight for survival. There were a few groans in the audience when Ripley went back for Jones after the Nostromo was set to destruct - “why is she saving the bloody cat?” - but the majority were right behind her, knowing that we would do the same. thrilled by the added tension with the ship minutes from exploding.

Bonus: Ripley Prepares for the Final Showdown
In the final scenes, Ripley stealthily donned a space suit in preparation for her final act of survival. As she steels herself for the final confrontation, she mutters the lyrics to You Are My Lucky Star. It’s a small moment, but shows Ripley's vulnerability reminding us that, for all her strength, she’s just one person trying to overcome paralysing fear and survive against the odds. That moment has stayed with me and to this day and I sometimes find myself repeating “lucky, lucky, lucky” under my breath when I’m hoping for something to go my way.

Looking back, it’s striking how much Alien has stayed with me. What started as mild disappointment from an overexcited teenager grew into lasting admiration for a film that dared to do something different. Its atmosphere, characters and restraint have kept it relevant for over four decades. For me, it’s not just a great sci-fi horror film, it’s the blueprint.

What moments still stay with you? Drop a comment below and let’s talk Alien.