Alien (1979): cast, story & where to watch
1979 · Film · ★ 8.2
Released in 1979, Alien is a horror and science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, running about 117 minutes. “In space no one can hear you scream.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. During its return to the earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. When a three-member team of the crew discovers a chamber containing thousands of eggs on the planet, a creature inside one of the eggs attacks an explorer. The entire crew is unaware of the impending nightmare set to descend upon them when the alien parasite planted inside its unfortunate host is birthed.
Who’s in it. Alien stars Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, Tom Skerritt as Dallas, Veronica Cartwright as Lambert and John Hurt as Kane, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 8.2/10, Alien sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue. It went on to earn $104.9M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Alien page.
If you liked it. Fans of Alien tend to enjoy Psycho, The Silence of the Lambs, The Shining and Obsession.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Alien (1979)?
- In US, Alien is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Alien worth watching?
- Alien holds an audience score of 8.2 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy horror and science fiction. Most viewers rate it highly.
- Who stars in Alien?
- Alien stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, John Hurt and Ian Holm.
- When was Alien released?
- Alien was released in 1979, with a runtime of about 117 minutes.