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'Alien: Romulus' and the 'Alien' Movie Rankings

August 16, 2024/ 105 min/ Sean Fennessey · Chris Ryan

Sean Fennessey and Chris Ryan review Fede Alvarez's 'Alien: Romulus,' rank all nine 'Alien' films, and Sean sits down with Alvarez to talk practical sets, the fourth act, and the Rook decision.

36 films across 4 segments.

AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.

The newsa Gena Rowlands tribute and some casting notes

A Woman Under the Influence 1974

Discussed after her death at 94 as the high point of the Cassavetes-Rowlands collaborations; Chris calls the scene where she waits for her kids' bus one of his most treasured moviegoing memories.

Opening Night 1977

Named alongside 'A Woman Under the Influence' as the peak of her work with Cassavetes.

The Notebook 2004

The film she's best known to a wide audience for, directed by her son Nick Cassavetes.

BlackBerry 2023

Matt Johnson, who made it, is set to direct an A24 Anthony Bourdain biopic starring Dominic Sessa; the hosts hope he upends the hagiographic-biopic template the way he did here.

Mufasa: The Lion King 2024

Sean saw the trailer with his daughter, a 'guardian of the Lion King lore'; he pitches it as 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but for the Pride Lands.'

Longlegs 2024

Nicolas Cage, freshly cast as John Madden in a David O. Russell biopic, is coming off this hit; part of a Cage-aissance the hosts are on board with.

Pig 2021

Filed with 'Dream Scenario' as evidence Cage can do straight-to-VOD and auteurist work at once.

Amsterdam 2022

Chris's proof that David O. Russell 'has just lost it.'

Three Kings 1999

One of the O. Russell films Chris still loves, alongside 'I Heart Huckabees.'

American Hustle 2013

Part of the Silver Linings/American Hustle/Joy run Chris was dubious about; floated as the '70s register a Madden movie might use.

Joy 2015

'Alien: Romulus'an effective mid-tier genre movie

Fede Alvarez's entry, set between 'Alien' and 'Aliens': space-colony pirates raid a derelict station and find facehuggers. Cailee Spaeny (Rain) and David Jonsson (Andy, the malfunctioning synthetic who reboots into a decisive one) anchor it; both hosts rate the practical sets, the acid-blood zero-G ballet, the elevator-shaft chase, and a body-horror fourth act. Their reservations: a CGI Ian Holm resurrected as the synthetic Rook, and 'get away from her, you bitch'-style fan service they found more processed than earned.

The 'Alien' Movie Rankingsbest to worst

No. 1

Alien 1979

No. 1 for both. Sean: 'one of my favorite films ever made.'

No. 2

Aliens 1986

The narrow runner-up. Sean gripes that the grain-scrubbed 4K reissue makes the sets look constructed rather than lived-in.

No. 3

Prometheus 2012

The consensus No. 3, buoyed by the abortion-bay body horror and Ridley Scott's Jesus-was-an-engineer lore.

No. 4

Alien: Covenant 2017

'First 45 minutes is perfect,' plus a Fassbender David performance that makes you want more of the aborted David trilogy.

No. 5

Alien 3 1992

Fincher's compromised debut; Charles Dance gives a favorite franchise performance, but Chris still ranks it dead last on his personal list.

No. 6

Alien: Romulus 2024

Slots in above Resurrection after a single viewing; fun, not as idea-rich as the two before it.

No. 7

Alien Resurrection 1997

The underwater sequence is great, but the Jeunet pitch of wide-eyed yelling grates and clashes with Whedon's dialogue.

No. 8

Alien vs. Predator 2004

'Probably the second worst movie ever made' featuring an alien; effectively not canon.

No. 9

Alien vs. Predator: Requiem 2007

Declared the worst movie ever made featuring an alien.

In conversationFede Alvarez on making 'Alien: Romulus'

Fede Alvarez on

Evil Dead 2013

His debut remake, whose blood-rain finale he cites as the original 'fourth act' that throws the audience into uncharted water.

Fede Alvarez on

Don't Breathe 2016

Named with 'Don't Breathe 2' as the original genre work he wants to get back to after franchise sandboxes.

Fede Alvarez on

Don't Breathe 2 2021

A recent top title on Netflix worldwide, he notes with satisfaction.

Fede Alvarez on

The Fly 1986

One of the '80s remakes-of-classics (with 'The Blob' and 'The Thing') Alvarez invokes: filmmakers who loved the originals and made their own version of them.