Trailer
Summary
During its return to the earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet.
Good for
- Friends night
- Thought-provoking
- Adults
Skip it if
- You need an uplifting mood
- You want fast pacing
- Graphic violence bothers you
- You scare easily
Where to watch
Fingerprint
At a glance
Critics vs audiences
Critics and audiences agree
Critics 89Audiences 86GoodWatch 87
Box office
9.5×its budget
- Budget
- $11 M
- Worldwide
- $105 M
Worldwide it earned $94 M more than it cost.
Running time
1 h 57 min
Longer than 9 in 10 horror movies, +22 min on the typical 95
typical 95117Half of all horror movies run 88–103 min.
Reach
Streams in 75 countries, rent or buy in 25 more
+65
Released
1979
May 25, 1979
47 years ago
Genres
HorrorScience FictionLanguage
English
Original language
Also spoken
SpanishMade in
United States
United Kingdom
Academy Awards1980
- Visual Effects1980Won
- Production Design1980Nominated
BAFTA Awards1980
- Best Sound1980Won
- Best Supporting Actor1980Nominated
- Best Supporting Actor1980Nominated
- Best Editing1980Nominated
- Best Original Music1980Nominated
- Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles1980Nominated
Golden Globe Awards1979
- Best Original Score1979Nominated
Rated
- RUnited States
What's in it
- ViolenceModerate
- Gore, disturbing imagesStrong
- Frightening scenesIntense
- Sex, nudityLittle or none
- Dark themesStrong
- Strong languageNamed in the advisories
In white: what the content advisories name. Levels from the title analysis.
Viewing guide
AdultsFriends NightPartner WatchSolo WatchThought-ProvokingNot listed for kids or family movie night.
Directing · 7
- Ridley Scott Director
- Steve Harding Assistant Director
- Raymond Becket Assistant Director
- Bob Jordan Assistant Director Trainee
- Julian Wall Second Assistant Director
- Kay Fenton Continuity
Writing · 2
- Dan O'Bannon Screenplay, Story, Other
- Ronald Shusett Story, Executive Producer
Production · 12
- Walter Hill Producer
- David Giler Producer
- Gordon Carroll Producer
- Mary Selway Casting
- Mary Goldberg Casting
- Ivor Powell Associate Producer
Camera · 5
- Derek Vanlint Director of Photography
- Adrian Biddle Focus Puller
- Bob Penn Still Photographer
- Jimmy Walters Key Grip
- Colin Davidson Focus Puller
Editing · 7
- Terry Rawlings Editor
- Peter Weatherley Editor
- Les Healey First Assistant Editor
- Peter Baldock Assistant Editor
- Maureen Lyndon Assistant Editor
- Bridget Reiss Assistant Editor
Sound · 11
- Jerry Goldsmith Original Music Composer
- Ben Burtt Sound Designer
- Lionel Newman Conductor
- Jim Shields Sound Editor
- Max Bell Dolby Consultant
- Bryan Tilling Dialogue Editor
Art · 13
- Michael Seymour Production Design
- Roger Christian Art Direction
- Ron Cobb Concept Artist
- Ian Whittaker Set Decoration
- Jean Giraud Concept Artist
- Leslie Dilley Art Direction
Costume & Make-Up · 6
- John Mollo Costume Design
- Graham Churchyard Costume Assistant
- Tommie Manderson Makeup Supervisor
- Tiny Nicholls Wardrobe Supervisor
- Pat Hay Makeup Artist
- Sarah Monzani Hairdresser
Visual Effects · 10
- Brian Johnson Special Effects Supervisor, Special Effects
- H. R. Giger Creature Design
- Joss Williams Special Effects Supervisor
- Nick Allder Special Effects Supervisor
- Andy Williams Special Effects Supervisor
- Peter Voysey Modelling Supervisor
Lighting · 1
- Ray Evans Gaffer
Other crew · 11
- Roy Scammell Stunt Coordinator
- Eddie Powell Stunts
- Neil Swan Special Effects Technician
- Guy Hudson Special Effects Technician
- George Gunning Carpenter
- Brian Doyle Unit Publicist
Tropes
More like this
Watch order
In this series
Film 1 of 4 · then Aliens
Similar
Most like Alien overall
Nearest on the related map: closest in everything it does to you, not one trait
Same genre


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