How to Watch the Alien Movies in Order: Complete Franchise Guide

The Alien franchise spans four decades, multiple directors, and wildly inconsistent quality. From Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece to recent prequels and a planned future, here’s everything you need to know about watching these films.

Release Order vs Chronological Order

The franchise can be watched two ways:

Release Order (Recommended for First-Time Viewers)

Chronological Order

Our recommendation: Watch in release order first. The prequels spoil mysteries the original preserves, and experiencing the franchise as audiences did provides the intended impact.

The Essential Films

Alien (1979) - ESSENTIAL

Ridley Scott’s original is a masterpiece of slow-burn horror. The crew of the Nostromo responds to a distress signal and brings aboard something that kills them one by one. Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley became an icon of strong female characters.

Why it’s essential: This invented the franchise’s aesthetic, introduced the xenomorph, and remains one of the greatest sci-fi horror films ever made. The chestburster scene still shocks.

Aliens (1986) - ESSENTIAL

James Cameron took Scott’s horror and made an action masterpiece. Ripley returns to LV-426 with Colonial Marines and finds a colony overrun. “Get away from her, you bitch” is one of cinema’s great moments.

Why it’s essential: Proof that sequels can work by changing genre. Cameron’s Aliens is as important as Scott’s Alien, and together they form the franchise’s untouchable core.

Alien: Romulus (2024) - Highly Recommended

Fede Alvarez’s entry returns to basics: a group of young colonists trapped on a space station with xenomorphs. Set between Alien and Aliens, it captures the original’s tension while adding fresh elements.

Why it works: After uneven prequels, this proved the franchise could still deliver pure Alien horror.

The Divisive Middle

Alien 3 (1992) - Optional

David Fincher’s directorial debut had a famously troubled production. Ripley crash-lands on a prison planet with no weapons—and an alien aboard her ship. The film kills beloved characters immediately and maintains relentless grimness.

The verdict: The Assembly Cut (available on home video) improves the theatrical version significantly. It’s flawed but has defenders, and Fincher’s visual style is evident.

Alien Resurrection (1997) - Skip (Unless Curious)

Ripley returns as a clone 200 years later. Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s French sensibility creates something tonally bizarre, with Joss Whedon’s script veering into comedy.

The verdict: It has its fans, but this is the series at its lowest.

The Prequels

Prometheus (2012) - Recommended

Ridley Scott returned to explore the “Space Jockey” from the original—now called Engineers—and questions of human origin. Scientists find an alien installation that holds terrible secrets.

The verdict: Gorgeous and ambitious but frustrating. Characters make inexplicably stupid decisions, and the film raises questions it can’t answer. Worth watching for visuals and ideas, but lower expectations.

Alien: Covenant (2017) - Optional

A colony ship diverts to investigate a signal, finding David from Prometheus and xenomorph origins. Michael Fassbender playing two androids is compelling; the crew deaths are predictable.

The verdict: Bridges Prometheus and Alien but satisfies fans of neither. Watch if you need answers to Prometheus’s questions.

Skip Entirely: The Crossovers

Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) are not canon and not good. The concept sounds fun; the execution isn’t. Unless you’re a completist, skip.

The Perfect Marathon Order

For a weekend marathon, we recommend:

1. Alien - Start with the best
2. Aliens - Double feature perfection
3. Alien: Romulus - Modern take that honors the classics

That’s six hours of the franchise at its best. Add Alien 3 (Assembly Cut) if you want more, Prometheus if you’re curious about lore.

Where to Stream

Availability changes, but the franchise is typically on:

• Hulu (with most films)
• Disney+ (in some regions)
• Available for rental on major platforms

What’s Next?

Following Romulus’s success, more Alien films are planned. Whether Scott’s prequel storyline continues or the franchise stays in Romulus’s more traditional territory remains to be seen.

Final Recommendations

If you only watch two: Alien and Aliens. Together, they’re a perfect double feature—horror becoming action, one protagonist across two genres.

If you want the full experience: Release order through Alien 3, then decide if you want more.

If you’re here for scares: Alien, Romulus, then maybe Alien 3.

The xenomorph remains one of cinema’s great monsters because those first two films are untouchable classics. Everything since has been chasing that high—Romulus got closest.