What is the best Alien film?

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(08) Alien vs Predator-series

I'm lumping these together, because what's the point in distinguishing rubbish? In my world, these barely qualify as Alien films, so I don't exactly look back on these brainless crossovers with fondness. The first rubbish film felt like a bunch of action figures tackling each other for 90 minutes, with the Xenomorph feeling like a wimpy rag doll in comparison to the Predator. Requiem, in turn, was incomprehensible to watch because the film was constantly drenched in darkness to hide its many, many flaws. These brain-dead action flicks can be subjected to corrosive Alien acid...

(07) Alien: Covenant

What could have been a modern-day Frankenstein, Covenant instead became an indecisive mess that knew neither in nor out. It wanted to continue the navel-gazing of Prometheus, but also be an unimaginative monster slasher at the same time, and it ended up being an uneven film that was for no one but Scott himself. It's a shame, because David as a character is phenomenally realised and I would have rather seen more of the mysticism of Prometheus than see Scott trying to fix something that was never broken to begin with. When an entire film world screams out in unison 'Put on your fucking helmets' in the first 20 minutes of the film probably says a lot about the plot...

(06) Alien: Resurrection

If disappointment had a face, it would have worn the cover of this fever dream. I love Sigourney Weaver, but the transition from her tragic swan song to this freaked out mess was somewhat jarring and even as a parvel you could sense something was 'off' with the Amelie director's contribution to the franchise. The tone and script of this sequel was completely off the wall, on the one hand screwing with the Xenomorph mythology but on the other hand turning a pale franchise into an overplayed and lame chapter...

(05) Alien: Romulus

As I recently wrote in my review, the film didn't live up to its true potential thanks to the second half going off the rails in such an unexciting way, but at the same time there were still plenty of grotesque delights to feast on for the hardcore fans who have been waiting for more Alien action. Visually, it's also one of the best looking in the franchise and while the film is mostly a fanservice remix, there's also an entertainment value that wasn't present in the aforementioned films - even if the pulse isn't quite there.

(04) Prometheus

Although it is not a pure Alien film, it shares the same DNA. While the argument that Prometheus over-explained the origin of the penis head is understandable, this is an effective science fiction film about human origins and what it means to be human - an equally important theme in this film series. The ambition, the music, the disgust and the sheer idea of being hated by our creators was enough to make for a marvellous cinematic experience - despite the script limping along and the characters constantly acting like clueless idiots.

(03) Aliens: Director's Cut

James Cameron really knows how to put together a sequel, because even if the Xenomorph loses some of its lustre as it now crawls with hundreds of monsters that are beaten up with machine guns, the tension was unbearable. There are so many brilliantly executed nightmare scenarios that most films in the same genre have struggled to match the brilliance of this sequel and Sigourney Weaver's brave character really came into her own here. The Director's Cut is even better, even tighter, even creepier.

(02) Alien 3: Assembly Cut

The black sheep of the film series offers exactly what I want from an Alien story. It's depressing, hopeless, dark, claustrophobic, creepy, eerie... the grim death anxiety was a strangely refreshing contrast to the more adventurous predecessor, where the filmmakers basically deceive the viewer after the cuddly Aliens ending and I love this angle. Although we never got to see David Fincher's original vision, the Assembly Cut version managed to flesh out an already pale nightmare into a satisfying tragedy for Ripley and the controversial third instalment remains one of the strongest stories in this sequel series.

(01) Alien

There is no arguing with this. Ridley Scott's 'Jaws in space' is unrivalled in its genre, the perfect organism that has yet to be surpassed. The atmosphere is still creepily terrifying, 45 years later, and to this day my dreams are haunted by the eighth passenger chasing me through abandoned space stations. Alien was as raw and stripped down as it was elegant and powerful, with the human focus, tight thematics and skilful lighting helping to drill this deeply unpleasant concept into our deepest imagination for all time...

What is your favourite Alien film?