Alien

Alien (1979) ReviewIN SPACE, NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM As I dive into my tenth horror movie this October, I felt a sense of excitement and nerves. I know and recognise this film as a cornerstone of the horror genre, but I was simply too young to appreciate its brilliance when it first graced the screen and many years after. Now, years later, I'm thrilled to finally experience it, and it certainly did not disappoint. With its renowned high ratings and glowing reviews, I knew “Alien” was beloved, but witnessing its tension and artistry firsthand was breathtaking. This film marks the beginning of my exploration of the Alien and Predator universes, and I’m embarking on this journey in release date order to fully appreciate the evolution of the franchise. After this gripping entry, I’m eager to see where this iconic saga will lead me next. I’ll start things off by saying… this movie was prime entertainment on every level. It heightens the horror genre by placing its plot in a strange environment. I genuinely think every character had their own established personality that is really crucial to making a brilliant film. They each had their own motivations and relationships with one another. The concept of this movie is so clever, and really sets up for the next movies to be excellent. It’s got such a clear structure involved in some mystery, foreshadowing and some twists. I’m probably going to just glaze this movie to the fullest… and it deserves every bit of it. The script is phenomenal and one of the best I’ve ever seen. It does a great job at showing rather than telling us. I just really adored the way the plot moved along, because as the movie went on—I was loving it even more and more. Every actor in this movie give such amazing performances. It really felt like they were pouring their heart and soul into each line of dialogue. The chemistry between the cast was through the roof—and it made for such an anxiety enduring experience. From the very beginning to the very end… I felt the intensity and moments of greatness. There’s so many horror elements in the movie to praise, because of how well Ridley Scott directs it. I can now admit… this was truly a timeless experience… and I loved every minute of it. One of the best things about the movie—is its ability to build tension through such simple stuff. “Alien” creates such a crisp and eerie atmosphere that was really cool to look at, and scary to watch at the same time. There’s a real impressive use of lighting, framing, and wonderful angles, to really maximise that suspense I was talking about. There’s an ominous feel… because the film moves  at a massive patient pace. It works for what the movie is trying to achieve, and I give praise to Ridley Scott for that. The scenes that stood out to me the most, that I loved… were the scenes of silence. It really just transported me into the world, and I really felt nerves like the characters in the film. I love how they use claustrophobia as a horror element, showcasing the characters going through very tight spaces to escape or kill the Xenomorph. I touched on how this movie immerses you in their world—and it’s mainly due to its fantastic production design. I adore how they combined world-building with a creature like the Xenomorph.  I’ve just got to give praise to the effects, because they were on point—for a movie that came out 45 years ago… the effects look better than majority of movies that come out these days. I just really think this is such a milestone in cinema history. And I’m not the first person to say that. It’s got the perfect amount of blood and gore, with more creepy aspects as well. It was really a treat to lay my eyes on every single scene of this movie, because it’s one of the best horrors I’ve ever seen… and movies in general. Just imagine… the feeling of being trapped in a glass coffin, light years away from feeling the embrace of earth. All you can hear is the eerie sound of machinery and unsettling silence of space. I can only imagine being in this universe and trying to survive. I’m not sure if I’d be able to… but it’s worth a shot. This movie isn’t even a movie for me—it’s a game changing experience for films and what they’re able to make us feel and showcase. I felt many emotions. I felt unease, uncomfortable, and was left wondering after I finished the movie. I thought the Nostromo was very sick—it’s seemed like an ordinary spaceship at the start… but it becomes a maze of shadows and dark crevices, perfectly setting the stage for existential nightmare. I’ll quickly touch on the pacing of the movie. Because it’s neither too fast nor too slow, and draped me into an atmosphere… where every creak, flash of light, and sound through the ships hallways feels filled with dread and terror. I really want to experience this film on the big screen (in a cinema) because I really think this movie will get elevated even higher than what I already felt it to be. I’m jealous of the people that got to see this movie back in 1979, when it first came out—because the 70’s are starting to look like a solid year for cinema. The people were genuinely eating good back then. I’m going to speak back on the silence and moments of brilliance. The sound design is outstanding… as I briefly mentioned earlier. The movie is also like the perfect runtime—it’s 2 hours long… and is a delightful breeze to get through. Now I’ll talk about Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal of Ripley. I thought it was amazing. Her performance had such a fierce yet vulnerable feel. She was very reserved at the start of the film, but as her friends got killed one by one, she turned into a badass. She grounded the movies intensity and made the overwhelming atmosphere feel deep with her struggles. I couldn’t help it, but become invested into her journey, and her every moment of fear… frustration, and hope. If you believe this film is all about fear, and getting a scare out of the audience—well you’re wrong. This film explores the meaning of human vulnerability and survival in a cold and different environment. It doesn’t just provide gross moments and jump scares… it’s got lots of meaning to it… and that’s because of how great Ridley Scott made the story. The entire film felt like an emotional tightrope walk… between fear and captivation. To say that this movie engaged all of my senses, would be an understatement. The whole film left me with a sense of isolation. THIS MOVIE WAS MADE WITH SUCH SKILL… AND ITS AMAZING TO WITNESS. I genuinely love this movie. I’ll take a little amount of time to talk one of the main things about the film. And that’s… the Xenomorph. He’s now probably my favourite fictional alien, because of its appearance, lifecycle and biology. That are all so original and cleverly thought out, despite barely appearing. This is a case in which the movie benefits from a certain character not appearing that much in the film. It creates more of a mystery and sense of creepiness—that you’ll never know what you’ll see or hear. The best scene might be the chest bursting sequence.. and each kill the Xenomorph does. The set, music, and lighting all helped elevate this film to the next level. The old but new looking sci-fi aesthetic felt so rich and made me believe that those people actually operated the ship. This film isn’t as flashy as say “Star Wars”, but I think it showcases scale brilliantly. The design of the ship was very well layered out… and every different room was so intricate with detail. There was an idea that was put into the film that I wasn’t too keen on at the start. And that was the fact of a cat roaming around the spaceship just randomly. It grew on me as the film progressed, because of its relevance to the plot… and what it was connected to. The story was very self contained, and spawns such a huge franchise… that I’m very excited to explore further. Most of the simplicity about the movie—benefits the story. It’s basically about and alien on a spaceship in which the crew have to survived and kill it. As far as Sci-Fi and Horror movies go, you can’t get much better than this. It highlights empty loneliness of space to perfection. Theres so many themes that this movie perfects to a tee… and that’s why I love it so much. I think in order for a movie to be great, its got to deliver in the direction and what it’s trying to achieve—with its emotion, visuals, themes, characters and their actions, as well as the score. “Alien” just ticks everything… and even more. I spoke about Ripley just before… but I want to mention another character that I thought was extremely interesting. And that was Ash… His cold attitude defines him from the others, being that sort of corporate man, told to do stuff as required. I loved all the characters but him and Ripley stood out to me the most… man the character arcs were good. Ultimately, this film just has a certain vibe that is one of the best I’ve seen in any movie ever. The heartbeats, the sound of chains rattling, the darkness, and the screams of anguish… are what this film is really made of. The last 45 minutes of this film (well, the entire thing really) make for some of the most spine-tingling and masterful displays of horror ever. The perfect combination of buildup, release, and dread. Astonishing stuff. Overall, “Alien” is a masterpiece of a movie, that truly understands what makes a great horror/sci-fi film. You might look at my rating, and wonder… if he’s saying it’s perfect why isn’t he giving it a perfect score. Well it comes down to one thing only—and that is… that I want to watch this film for a second time, to fully come to the conclusion that it’s perfect. But back to the summary of the movie. I give all my flowers to Sigourney Weaver and her character Ripley. I interested to see where the sequel takes this franchise… and hopefully it’s in a good direction. This film has one of the best visual displays of horror, with an outstanding set design, gut wrenching practical effects, and such compelling characters. This story really left me feeling alone and surrounded by nothingness. I see why people say this is a classic. And I look forward to hopefully giving this movie the perfect score… it probably deserves… on my next watch of it. The horror month of October has really gifted me something special here. Ridley Scott… your great bro. (5 stars ⭐️ out of 5). (9.6/10).      96/100