Unravel 'Alien' universe: 6 films to watch before 'Alien: Romulus'
What's the story
The Alien franchise, a cornerstone of the science-fiction horror genre for over four decades, is set to release its latest installment, Alien: Romulus.
The new film is scheduled to hit theaters on August 23.
In anticipation of this release, fans are encouraged to revisit the six previous movies that have shaped this iconic series and prepared the ground for the upcoming chapter.
Original masterpiece
'Alien' (1979): The groundbreaking original
The original Alien film, directed by Ridley Scott and released in 1979, is a must-watch for its introduction of the Xenomorph creature.
The film's terrifying designs by HR Giger, slow-building tension, and claustrophobic spaceship setting have made it a classic movie that you need to revisit before the next chapter arrives!
Every subsequent movie, including Alien: Romulus, has strived to live up to this initial masterpiece's legacy.
Action-packed sequel
'Aliens' (1986): The sequel that blended horror with action
The second film in the series, Aliens, directed by James Cameron, successfully infused the original's horror with high-octane action while maintaining suspense.
The movie expanded the universe with intense battle scenes and introduced new characters who quickly became fan favorites.
This fusion of action and horror could potentially influence Alien: Romulus as it aims to engage both new and old fans.
Controversial installment
'Alien' 3' (1992): The film that stirred controversy
David Fincher's Alien 3, the third film in the series, took a darker turn and sparked debates among fans.
Despite initial mixed reactions due to its grim tone and unexpected character deaths, Alien 3 has since gained a cult following for its daring approach and return to the original film's eerie atmosphere.
This bold direction set the stage for future films like Alien: Covenant and potentially influences Alien: Romulus.
Bold experiment
'Alien: Resurrection' (1997), 'Prometheus' (2012), 'Alien: Covenant' (2017)
Alien: Resurrection—directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet—marked a new direction for the franchise by blending horror with dark comedy and introducing a cloned version of Ripley.
Despite not reaching the heights of its predecessors, Resurrection was notable for its bold approach.
Meanwhile, after a long break, Scott returned to the franchise with Prometheus—a prequel that dug into the origins of the Xenomorphs and Engineers.
Alien: Covenant—the most recent film—attempted to merge Prometheus's ambitious concepts with the intense horror of the original Alien.