Why Alien is Not Only A Horror Film but A Horror Masterpiece

Why Alien is Not Only A Horror Film but A Horror Masterpiece

Is Alien a horror movie? The answer is yes. Although many have argued that a horror movie cannot take place in space, the concept and makings of a horror film go beyond just its setting. In its simplest form, there is a victim and there is a monster/evil/supernatural force, take your pick. There is in some cases a hero as well, introducing Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley. 

For those naysayers, I would ask, if horror movies cannot take place in space, then why did we send Jason Vorhees to space in Jason X? An iconic horror and slasher name heading into space and adopting many of the same tropes we see in Alien on top of that. 

Further adding to this, there’s been plenty of horror films with sci-fi as its backdrop such as Life, Apollo 18, and Pandorum to name a few. Alien, finds itself apart from all the rest and arguably, sets forth the foundation for many sci-fi horror films that have come and will come in the future. So let’s break down what makes Alien not only a horror movie but a horror masterpiece. 

Alien continues to influence all mediums with continued sequels, including an upcoming FX and Hulu Alien series from Noah Hawley, and also releases of video games and comic books based within its universe. We’ve also seen Alien invade the likes of Epic Games‘ Fortnite and Behaviour Interactive’s Dead by Daylight.

Scott initially intended for the alien to be more visible throughout the entire film. Scott pivoted after getting a good look at the actor in the Alien suit and realizing how ridiculous it would look. He instead pivoted to be more conservative in how he showed the creature and opted for just occasional glimpses in low light and worked with editor Brian Q. Kelly to cut the film down to bare essentials.

All of these choices created the perfect circumstances for the viewer to fill in the blanks with their imagination of what this creature must look like and what horror it must do to its victims allowing us to finish the piece of art by letting our minds create our nightmare from the minimal exposure we get to the creature haunting the small crew. 

Any way you slice it, Alien sits atop the horror food chain as well as sci-fi by creating a hybrid film that takes us into the vastness of space, introduces one of the baddest final girls in the genre’s history while opting for a simplistic cinematic experience that allowed our warped minds to fill in the blanks and uses our imagination and fears against us.

This not only makes Alien a horror movie but a horror masterpiece.