Alien (1979) Movie: Plot, Cast, Review and Is It Worth Watching | GoMovie.ai
Alien
1979117 min★8.2 (16,962 votes)
HorrorScience Fiction
Overview
During its return to the earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. When a three-member team of the crew discovers a chamber containing thousands of eggs on the planet, a creature inside one of the eggs attacks an explorer. The entire crew is unaware of the impending nightmare set to descend upon them when the alien parasite planted inside its unfortunate host is birthed.
Original Language:EN
Where to Watch Alien
In United States, you can stream it on Netflix, fuboTV, Netflix Standard with Ads, rent it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and more, buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and more. Availability may change over time.
You can watch Alien on Netflix, fuboTV, and Netflix Standard with Ads. It may also be available to rent or buy on other platforms. Browse more movies on Netflix.
Availability and provider information are provided by JustWatch (on behalf of TMDB). Availability may change.
Should you watch Alien?
Watch Alien if you want the 1979 original that still teaches every spaceship-horror movie how to wait. Ridley Scott's film is 117 minutes, rated R, and closer to a haunted house than to Aliens' marine shootout. Sigourney Weaver's Ripley, Giger's creature, and a crew that feels like they have real jobs are the reasons it remains the right starting point for the franchise. If Blade Runner, Se7en, or the GoMovie.ai space-movies guide already appeal to you, this is a yes. Watch this before Aliens if you care about order. Check the Watch providers section on this page for current streaming, rental, or purchase options in your region.
Why watch this movie?
Alien (1979) is Ridley Scott's science-fiction horror film about the crew of the commercial towing ship Nostromo, who investigate a signal, bring something back, and discover that the company and the creature both treat them as expendable. Sigourney Weaver's Ripley became the template for the resourceful survivor; Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto, Veronica Cartwright, and Harry Dean Stanton fill out a working-class ensemble. This page covers TMDB movie ID 348 — the 1979 20th Century Fox original, runtime 117 minutes, rated R — not Aliens (1986), Alien³, Alien Resurrection, or Prometheus. If you are searching whether Alien is worth watching, whether Alien is scary, or movies like Alien, the useful answer is: it is a slow, industrial haunted-house movie in space, not a run-and-gun sequel. Watch this one first if you want the franchise in order.
Who should watch it?
Alien is a strong pick if you want foundational sci-fi horror rather than a modern jump-scare franchise chapter. It is especially recommended if you like Blade Runner or The Martian for Ridley Scott worlds (one noir, one survival, this one dread), The Silence of the Lambs or Se7en for adult tension that does not rush, or 2001: A Space Odyssey for spaceship-as-architecture. Skip it if you need constant action, cannot handle chest-bursting body horror and an R-rated creature feature, or wanted the louder marine-combat energy of Aliens. You do not need any sequel homework. In fact, starting here is the point.
Pros
What Alien is about, in plain terms: a tramp spaceship crew answers a distress call, a parasite gets aboard, and corporate priorities turn a haunted-house story into a survival movie — the 1979 original, not the action sequel.
Ridley Scott, H.R. Giger's design, and Sigourney Weaver's Ripley still define industrial sci-fi and the 'final girl' as competent adult rather than scream prop.
High-intent queries: 'Alien movie in order,' 'is Alien scary,' 'should I watch Alien or Aliens first,' and 'movies like Alien' — all FAQ-shaped.
Already linked from GoMovie.ai's best thriller movies hub and the best space movies blog (correct TMDB ID 348), so unique page text closes a real internal-link leak.
A 117-minute runtime that uses quiet, dripping corridors, and one unforgettable dinner scene more than wall-to-wall action.
Cons
Easy to confuse with Aliens, Alien³, Alien Resurrection (TMDB 8078), Prometheus, or Alien: Romulus; this page is Ridley Scott's 1979 original, TMDB movie ID 348.
The pace is deliberately slow compared with James Cameron's Aliens. Viewers who want gunfire from minute ten may call it boring.
Rated R for violence, gore, and terror, including body horror that still startles people who only know the poster.
1979 practical effects and a working-class, lived-in ship will look 'old' if you only watch glossy contemporary sci-fi.
Streaming and rental availability vary by region; check the Watch providers section on this page rather than assuming a specific service.
If you liked this movie
If you are looking for movies like Alien, start with Blade Runner and The Martian for more Ridley Scott world-building (one detective-noir, one stranded-astronaut problem-solving), then 2001: A Space Odyssey for spaceship dread at a more philosophical temperature. The Silence of the Lambs and Se7en share adult, patient terror in a different genre. The Matrix is the later sci-fi-action leap if you want kinetic payoff after the haunted-house original. Aliens is the official next watch if the 1979 film worked and you want Cameron's louder sequel. Together they cover what people usually mean by movies like Alien: crew, creature, corporation, and a ship that will not save you.
Frequently asked questions
Is Alien worth watching?
Yes. Alien (1979) is still one of the best science-fiction horror films ever made: slow, industrial, and genuinely tense. It is especially worth watching if you like adult thrillers, Ridley Scott, or want to start the Alien franchise in order. It is less ideal if you only want nonstop action.
What is Alien about?
The crew of the Nostromo investigates a signal on a distant moon, brings an organism back to the ship, and then has to survive something that hunts them in the vents while the company that employs them has other priorities. It is a haunted-house movie in space. Going in without a creature encyclopedia is part of the experience.
Who directed Alien?
Ridley Scott directed Alien (1979). He later made Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, and The Martian. James Cameron directed the 1986 sequel Aliens; that is a different movie with a different tempo.
Sigourney Weaver stars as Ripley, with Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto, Veronica Cartwright, and Harry Dean Stanton as the Nostromo crew. Weaver's Ripley is the character the later films keep returning to.
Should I watch Alien or Aliens first?
Watch Alien (1979) first if you want the story in order and the original's slow dread. Aliens (1986) is a sequel and a louder action movie; it assumes you know who Ripley is. If you only have time for one and you want scares, pick the 1979 film. If you only want action, people often prefer Aliens — but you will miss why Ripley is exhausted.
Is Alien scary?
Yes, in a patient, R-rated way: claustrophobia, body horror, and a creature you do not fully see at first. It is scarier than most PG-13 space movies and less reliant on jump-scare editing than modern horror. If Se7en or The Silence of the Lambs get to you, this will too.
How long is Alien?
Alien runs 117 minutes, or 1 hour and 57 minutes. That is the 1979 theatrical feature, TMDB movie ID 348.
Is Alien connected to Blade Runner or Gladiator?
Only through Ridley Scott. Alien is not in the Blade Runner or Gladiator story worlds. If you like Scott's craft — weather, world-building, adult ensembles — those films are useful next watches in different genres.
Where can I watch Alien?
Availability depends on your region and can change over time. Check the Watch providers section on this page for the most current streaming, rental, and purchase options rather than assuming a specific service.
What movies are similar to Alien?
Movies like Alien include Aliens if you want the official sequel, Blade Runner and The Martian for more Ridley Scott, 2001: A Space Odyssey for ship-as-dread, and The Silence of the Lambs or Se7en for patient adult terror in another genre.
