- yesterday
In space, no one can hear you scream... but your neighbors might when you watch these moments! Join us as we count down the most spine-chilling scenes from the Alien franchise that had us peeking through our fingers. From horrifying births to terrifying hunts, these moments defined sci-fi horror for generations.
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00Communication, Captain.
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 most terrifying moments in the Alien franchise.
00:12There will be spoilers.
00:18Number 20. Finding the Engineer, Alien.
00:21Before all hell broke loose, there was one eerie sign that something was horribly wrong with the planet that Nostromo landed on.
00:28Yep, it's the Engineer's first appearance.
00:31Known as the Space Jockey, it may be linked to the Engineers in Prometheus.
00:35When Kane, Lambert, and Dallas first encounter this long-dead fossilized humanoid slumped in a chair, we have no clue what it is.
00:42Amazing. Alien life form. Looks like it's been dead a long time.
00:50That mystery, combined with its larger-than-life presence and the gaping hole in the chest, makes us feel like we're nothing compared to what's out there.
00:56Like he exploded from inside.
01:01I wonder what happened to the rest of the crew.
01:03Plus, what's discovered inside the ship only deepens the horror.
01:06Though it appears briefly, this ancient creature became one of sci-fi's most iconic figures.
01:11That is enough to tell you how much it fascinated fans.
01:14What do you got?
01:15I'll see what you make of this.
01:20Number 19. Underwater Chase, Alien Resurrection.
01:23Hey, Christy, do me a favor.
01:26We'll hit the surface on the other side.
01:28No backstroke, okay?
01:30This might be considered one of the weakest in the Alien franchise, but it still delivers some spine-tingling thrills.
01:36Set 200 years after Alien 3, it revolves around the military's plan to breed and study xenomorphs.
01:42Things go south very quickly when these creatures escape their confinements.
01:46In one of the movie's most intense and visually stunning scenes, the survivors try to escape through a flooded kitchen, but are ambushed by two xenomorphs.
01:54It's both thrilling and nerve-wracking as they try to hold their breath while avoiding these predators that swim as fast as they crawl.
02:10Of course, not everyone makes it out alive.
02:13This is way more terrifying than the great white sharks in Jaws, don't you agree?
02:16Number 18. Clemens Is Killed, Alien 3
02:28Despite the fact that I had become secretly addicted to morphine, I was considered to be the most promising in the moment of the future.
02:37Maybe Ripley wasn't meant to have a happy ending.
02:40Whenever it seems like she's found a little warmth or someone she can trust, it's ripped away.
02:44After crash-landing on Fiorina Fury 161, Ripley meets Clemens, a prison officer with a dark past but calm presence.
02:52And now I've made another mistake.
02:54Really? What's that?
02:55Fraternizing with a prisoner.
02:57Their bond grows gradually, goading us into thinking Ripley might find some respite.
03:01Alien 3 offers no comfort.
03:04Just as Clemens begins to open up to Ripley in the infirmary, the xenomorph appears and kills him mid-conversation.
03:14The way it happens with no dramatic cue or build-up makes it so scary.
03:20Even Ripley is left stunned.
03:22Still, it feels like a huge waste of a likable character.
03:25But hey, the universe does not care.
03:27Number 17. Rain Caught Between Xenomorph and Facehugger.
03:43Alien Romulus.
03:44If you ever find yourself stuck between a xenomorph and a facehugger, you should say your last prayer.
03:49One is there to hunt you while with the other you risk impregnation.
03:53It's just an impossible situation.
03:54In one intense scene, Rain finds herself trapped between these two predators after falling through an elevator shaft when gravity kicks back in.
04:02At first, you might be confused why the xenomorph saved her.
04:05But as a facehugger comes into view, you realize it wasn't an act of mercy.
04:17It's a calculated move to perpetuate the alien life cycle.
04:20Thankfully, Andy shows up just in time to save Rain from becoming an alien breeder.
04:34Number 16. Maternity Ward Massacre.
04:37Aliens vs. Predator Requiem.
04:39Xenomorphs are downright merciless, and nowhere is that more pronounced than in the maternity massacre scene in Aliens vs. Predator Requiem.
04:56It happens when a pred-alien invades a hospital maternity ward.
05:00Instead of the typical facehugger implantation, it literally forces its embryos down the throat of a pregnant woman.
05:06Honestly, it's one of the franchise's most disturbing sequences.
05:10Not just for its brutality, but for the way it defiles what's meant to be sacred and safe.
05:14With a body horror this unrelenting, it is clear nothing is off-limits in the Alien franchise.
05:20Nothing.
05:21It's almost as if the camera is daring you to look away.
05:24We honestly can't blame anyone who felt the franchise went too far with this.
05:27You two look pretty shaken up.
05:30Hasn't been an easy night for her.
05:32Number 15. Alien in the Water.
05:34Aliens.
05:35Which way is it to the landing field from here?
05:37This way.
05:38Sometimes, all you need is a simple setup to create the chilliest scene.
05:42And James Cameron nails it with this.
05:45After an explosion separates Newt from Ripley and the others,
05:48she plummets into a flooded corridor, clutching her doll.
05:51Newt calls out to Ripley, hoping to be rescued.
05:54But time is running out.
05:55All you can hear is the dripping water, echoing silence.
05:59No dramatic score as Newt waits to be saved.
06:02Then, from the murky water, a xenomorph emerges behind her, like something out of a bad dream.
06:13Newt doesn't see it at first, but when she does, her scream cuts through the silence.
06:18By the time Ripley emerges, all that's left is Newt's doll bobbing in the water.
06:22It is absolutely nerve-wracking and heartbreaking.
06:26No! No!
06:29Let's go!
06:29No!
06:31Number 14. Xenomorph Dog.
06:33Alien 3.
06:34In the world of aliens, it seems nothing's left out from the horror.
06:38Not pregnant women, not children, and definitely not dogs.
06:41That brings us to one of the scariest facehugger creations.
06:45The xenomorph Dog.
06:46After a prison dog named Spike is impregnated,
06:49what bursts out from it is undeniably grotesque.
06:52Only that some get called, some get saved.
06:57It's both devastating and terrifying,
06:59especially since it happens during the funeral ceremony for Newt and Hicks.
07:02But it's not just the body horror that creeps you out.
07:05There's something heartbreaking about man's best friend being twisted into a monster.
07:09You don't even have to be a dog lover to feel the weight of it.
07:12Number 13.
07:13David Calms the Neomorph.
07:15Alien Covenant.
07:16Set years after Prometheus,
07:18Alien Covenant follows a crew of a colony ship bound for a distant planet.
07:22When they intercept a mysterious transmission from a nearby planet,
07:25curiosity pulls them off course.
07:27What they find is far worse than expected.
07:30The Neomorphs and David, the android survivor from Prometheus.
07:34In one very chilling scene,
07:36after a Neomorph attacks and decapitates a crew member,
07:39David calmly pets it like a proud zookeeper.
07:41The horror here isn't loud.
07:43It's quiet and unnerving because of what it suggests.
07:46David isn't just a survivor.
07:48He's been nurturing them,
07:50playing God in secret.
07:57The full weight of the horror sinks in
08:00when Orym becomes his next gruesome experiment.
08:02Number 12.
08:09Facehuggers in the Med Bay.
08:11Aliens.
08:12Yet another scene where characters find themselves trapped in a life or death situation.
08:16This is one of the scariest in Aliens.
08:18Newt and Ripley have just been locked in the Med Bay by Burke,
08:21with two facehuggers loose.
08:23It is claustrophobic, frantic, and personal
08:25as they try to evade these aliens that can impregnate you just by latching onto your face.
08:30The room is small,
08:36there is no weapon in sight,
08:37and the danger is closing in fast.
08:40Ripley fights these relentless creatures
08:41while Newt's panicked screams only heighten the chaos.
08:44Meanwhile,
08:45Hicks and the others work frantically to save them.
08:47Thankfully,
08:48they both make it out unscathed,
08:50but not before pushing us to the edge of our nerves.
08:55Pepshead!
08:55Yeah, all clear.
08:57Nailed the other one.
08:58It's history, man.
08:58Number 11.
09:00The Offspring's Final Scene.
09:01Alien Romulus.
09:03Just when it seems like the film's wrapping up,
09:05the tension spikes with the final confrontation between Rain and the Offspring,
09:08a xenomorph-human hybrid.
09:10Kay is dead,
09:11Andy can't help,
09:12and Rain is the last one standing,
09:14but not on the Offspring's watch.
09:20It attacks her,
09:21and when it seems she's defeated,
09:23Rain manages to float away.
09:25Soft music sets in,
09:26tricking us into thinking she's safe.
09:29Suddenly,
09:29the Offspring reappears,
09:31cracking her helmet in an attempt to finish her off.
09:40It's seriously one effective jump scare that takes us by surprise.
09:43It almost feels like the creature has a personal vendetta,
09:46and for a moment,
09:47it nearly got what it wanted.
09:49Luckily,
09:50Rain survives.
09:51Number 10.
09:52The Corridor Chase.
09:54Alien 3.
09:54David Fincher's entry is certainly flawed,
10:03and the director himself has since disowned it,
10:05saying,
10:05No one hates it more than me.
10:08But,
10:08there are some good things going for it,
10:10and there are many well-constructed sequences that showcase the obvious talent brewing in the young director.
10:16The visual of the xenomorph approaching Ripley is obviously iconic,
10:19and the movie contains one of the greatest chase sequences in the entire franchise.
10:28The hunt in The Corridor is terrifically paced and contains some great acting and sound design.
10:35Furthermore,
10:35it showcases Fincher's thirst for filmmaking,
10:38containing fun flourishes like twirling POV shots and creative visual effects.
10:52Number 9.
10:53The Queen Revealed.
10:55Aliens.
10:56Aliens.
10:56Aliens.
10:58Aliens.
11:00Aliens.
11:02Aliens.
11:03Aliens.
11:04Aliens.
11:05Aliens.
11:05Aliens.
11:05Aliens.
11:05Aliens.
11:08Aliens.
11:08It's amazing to think that this was James Cameron's third movie,
11:12as he already had complete command of the art of filmmaking.
11:15In the thrilling climax of the second film,
11:18Ripley and Newt meet the Alien Queen,
11:20and it is truly a sight to behold.
11:22The slow reveal of the Queen is absolutely stellar,
11:26complete with some unbearable tension,
11:28creative visual and sound design,
11:30and eye-popping special effects.
11:32Cameron and Stan Winston built a 14-foot foam puppet
11:35that was controlled by fishing line and hydraulics,
11:38and the results could not be more amazing.
11:40It's one of the best reveals in movie history,
11:43and certainly one of the scariest.
11:45Number 8.
11:54The Shuttle Escape.
11:55Alien.
11:59Unlike Aliens,
12:00the first movie doesn't end with a face-melting showdown.
12:04Instead,
12:04it favors quiet,
12:06anxiety,
12:07and suspense.
12:08Ripley discovers to her absolute horror
12:10that the Alien has stowed itself inside the escape shuttle,
12:13and she's forced to use her resourcefulness and intelligence to defeat it.
12:18In a moment that is almost unwatchable,
12:20she allows the Alien to get close,
12:22her breathing getting more and more panicked
12:24as she hears it approaching.
12:26And then,
12:37she jettisons that sucker into space.
12:39Ridley Scott directs the sequence to perfection,
12:42allowing the tension to build
12:44and lighting the shuttle with a strobing effect,
12:46which ensures that the creature remains in shadow.
12:49This is Ripley.
12:51Last survivor of the Nostromo.
12:55Signing off.
12:56Number 7.
12:57The Alien Hybrid.
12:58Alien Resurrection.
13:00A human reproductive system.
13:04She is giving birth for you, Ripley.
13:07And now,
13:08she is perfect!
13:10For many Alien fans,
13:12this is the worst entry in the franchise,
13:14as things get a little weird.
13:16But this weirdness results in a grotesque image unlike any other.
13:21The Queen's DNA combines with that of Ripley,
13:23resulting in a bizarre alien-human hybrid
13:25that recognizes Ripley as its biological mother.
13:30Oh, look.
13:34Look beautiful, beautiful little baby.
13:39This creature was a full-scale animatronic
13:41created by Amalgamated Dynamics Incorporated.
13:44And the results are, well, absolutely disgusting.
13:48Its face bears resemblance to a human skull,
13:51and it's covered in a nasty white slime.
13:54It looks like it was ripped straight from a nightmare.
13:57Beautiful butterfly.
14:04Number 6.
14:05The Backburster.
14:06Alien Covenant.
14:07Sit down.
14:09Sit down.
14:11I'm sorry.
14:13I'm so sorry.
14:13What's wrong with me?
14:15We've all seen the chestburster.
14:17Ridley Scott knows this,
14:18so he decided to change it up
14:20and give us something a little different
14:22while still retaining the soul of the original.
14:24The result?
14:25A backburster.
14:27Ledward is infected by spores
14:28and is immediately taken to the medbay
14:31where all hell proceeds to break loose.
14:33A neomorph slowly emerges from his back
14:44and flops on the floor.
14:46It then kills Corinne,
14:47who was tragically trapped in the room
14:49with the inhuman creature.
14:51The scene is a nice twist on the iconic original,
14:53and it's certainly more graphic.
14:56We see every revolting detail of this alien birth,
14:59and it's enough to leave a permanent impression.
15:02I need you back here right now.
15:04I need you to go back to the lantern right now.
15:06Number 5.
15:07The C-Section.
15:08Prometheus.
15:09Emergency procedures initiated.
15:11Please verbally state the nature of your injury.
15:14I need a cesarean.
15:16Another variation on the chestburster,
15:18and arguably an even scarier one,
15:20can be seen in the divisive prequel Prometheus.
15:23David spikes Holloway's drink
15:24with a mysterious black liquid,
15:26and Holloway proceeds to sleep with Elizabeth Shaw.
15:28Shaw is impregnated,
15:30but not with a baby.
15:31At least, not a human baby.
15:33Surgery.
15:34Abdominal.
15:37Penetrating injuries.
15:39Poor body.
15:41In his shoes.
15:42In the movie's most famous sequence,
15:44Shaw enters an automated surgery table,
15:46and has the creature removed from her stomach.
15:49Everything about this scene
15:50just screams horror movie perfection,
15:52from the acting and claustrophobic setting
15:54to the revolting image of a slithering squid
15:57emerging from her womb.
15:58It's enough to give someone a panic attack.
16:00Get it out!
16:01Come on!
16:03Please!
16:06Oh!
16:07Oh, God!
16:08Number 4.
16:09The Ash Reveal.
16:10Alien.
16:13Ash?
16:13You open the door?
16:20The first alien contains
16:21one of the most famous plot twists
16:23in the horror genre,
16:24and it comes via a haunting image.
16:27Ash is revealed to be a robot,
16:29and he has been ordered
16:30to bring the alien specimen
16:31back to the company.
16:33He attacks and nearly kills Ripley,
16:35but she is saved in the nick of time
16:37by Parker,
16:38who clubs Ash with a blunt weapon.
16:40Get her out!
16:41Get her out!
16:42Get her out!
16:43Ash freaks out,
16:44emitting high-pitched robot noises
16:45and spewing a white liquid
16:47across the room.
16:48And then Parker hits his head,
16:49and, well,
16:50you all know what happens next.
16:51It's amazing that in a franchise
16:53filled with scary alien monsters,
16:56it's a simple robot
16:57who provides one of its greatest scares.
16:59There is an explanation for this,
17:00you know.
17:01Number 3.
17:02The Nest.
17:03Aliens.
17:04What is that?
17:06I don't know.
17:10Proceed inside.
17:10James Cameron definitely favored
17:12action over horror,
17:14but he still found time
17:15to craft some creepy sequences,
17:17like the colonial marines
17:19arriving on LV-426.
17:21Cameron squeezes the arrival
17:22for all it's worth,
17:24lingering on empty,
17:25ruined hallways
17:26and letting the eerie sound design
17:28work its magic.
17:29But things literally descend
17:30into full-blown horror
17:32when they make their way
17:33down to the nest.
17:34Looks like some sort of
17:35secreted resin.
17:36Yeah.
17:37But secreted from what?
17:39Here,
17:40the marines find
17:41opened eggs
17:42and cocooned colonists,
17:43one of whom wakes up
17:44and gives birth
17:45to an infant alien.
17:47And that's when
17:47the shooting starts.
17:49It's a masterful sequence
17:50that harkens back
17:51to the tension
17:51of the first movie,
17:53complete with grisly sights
17:54and unimaginable terror.
17:56Number two,
18:01Inside the Vents,
18:02Alien.
18:03Dallas, are you sure
18:03there is no sign of it?
18:04I mean, it is there.
18:08It's gotta be around there.
18:09It's amazing how many things
18:11Ridley Scott manages to accomplish
18:12in this one short scene.
18:14He manages to build
18:15an incredible amount of anxiety
18:17over the alien in the vents,
18:18which is done mostly
18:19through solid reaction shots
18:21and stellar sound design.
18:23That relentless beeping
18:24will forever haunt our nightmares.
18:26Am I Claire Lambert?
18:27I want to get the hell out of here.
18:30Oh God,
18:30it's moving right towards you.
18:32He also crafts
18:33one of the all-time
18:34greatest jump scares
18:35when the alien
18:36finally emerges
18:37from the shadows.
18:38And finally,
18:39he kills off Dallas,
18:40who up until this point
18:42was the group's leader.
18:43He's set up
18:44as the primary hero
18:45of the film,
18:45but Scott performs
18:46a wonderful bait-and-switch
18:48and kills him off
18:49with one terrifying screech.
18:51What a scene.
18:54Before we continue,
18:57be sure to subscribe
18:58to our channel
18:59and ring the bell
18:59to get notified
19:00about our latest videos.
19:02You have the option
19:03to be notified
19:03for occasional videos
19:04or all of them.
19:06If you're on your phone,
19:07make sure you go
19:07into your settings
19:08and switch on notifications.
19:12Number 1.
19:13The Chestburster
19:13Alien
19:14Of course it's
19:16the chestburster.
19:16The first thing
19:17that I'm going to do
19:18when I get back
19:19is to get some
19:20decent food.
19:21How could it not
19:22be the chestburster?
19:23While exploring
19:24the creepy planet,
19:25Kane does a terrifically
19:26silly thing
19:27and puts his face
19:28directly over
19:29a hatching egg,
19:30allowing the facehugger
19:31to, well,
19:32hug his face.
19:33This is a fantastic scare
19:35in and of itself,
19:36but it leads to one
19:37of the most iconic
19:37sequences in movie history.
19:39What's the matter?
19:40The food ain't
19:41that bad, baby.
19:43John Hurt
19:43is mesmerizing
19:44and he fully
19:45sells the unimaginable
19:47pain of having
19:47a baby alien
19:48burrow its way
19:49through your stomach.
19:50His screams
19:51are piercing
19:52and nightmarish
19:53and the visual
19:53of the alien
19:54emerging from his belly
19:55has remained
19:56a staple of pop culture
19:57for decades.
19:58Horror does not
19:59get much better
20:00than this.
20:01Get your head sealed.
20:06Anybody want
20:07to see anything?
20:07Did we forget
20:08any iconic scenes?
20:10Let us know
20:10in the comments below.
20:11We're still Marines
20:12and we got a job
20:13to do.
20:14Which of these moments
20:14left you completely petrified?
20:16Let us know
20:17in the comments section.
20:18We'll see you next time.
Recommended
1:42
|
Up next
10:25
22:05
1:31:18
1:41:49
2:19:32
1:16:59
1:11:20
2:26:15
1:59:42
1:23:25
1:38:28
0:40
1:28:15
1:50:47
30:02