In what order should I watch the Alien movies?
Wake up, sleepyheads . . . It’s time to come out of stasis and fight the big, scary aliens—and maybe even hatch a bouncing baby Chestburster. OMG, congratulations!
Okay, you don’t really have to battle those slimy, slobbery things. But you can watch ‘em wreak havoc (and get blown the hell up!) if you have the right streaming service. (Sorry to say, though, that you might still be carrying Facehugger spawn.)
In this guide, I’ll show you how to watch the Alien movies in order, both chronologically and by release date, from “Alien” (1979) to the 2025 series “Alien: Earth.”
(p.s. If you’re super worried about that unwanted alien pregnancy, I know a vet who specializes in exotic pets. Just saying.)
Pro tip: Watching every Alien movie in order will take 17 hours and 15 minutes.
What are the Alien movies?
“In space, no one can hear you scream.” In 1979, director Ridley Scott and writer Dan O’Bannon destroyed our psyches with the story of a doomed deep-space rescue mission where we met such cosmic nightmares as Facehuggers, Chestbursters, and Xenomorphs. We also encountered Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver in her first major film role), the warrant officer aboard the Nostromo—and the first cinema crush of a zillion sci-fi geeks.
An instant—and enduring—horror/sci-fi classic, Ridley Scott’s “Alien” (1979) spawned four sequels, two prequels, and two Alien vs. Predator (AVP) crossover films. There’s even a TV spin-off (“Alien: Earth”) from FX and Hulu to keep on your radar.
Only the first sequel, “Aliens” (1986), is as good as the original. The middle films, “Alien 3” (1992), “Alien: Resurrection” (1997), “Alien vs. Predator” (2004), and “Alien vs. Predator: Requiem” (2007) range from garbage to so-so. But the prequels, “Prometheus” (2012) and “Alien: Covenant” (2017), somewhat rekindled the old magic. Fede Álvarez’s recent “Alien: Romulus” and the TV series “Alien: Earth” were both satisfying entries in the franchise.
If you’re a sucker for gory, slimy, butt-kickin’ sci-fi action (even if it sometimes kinda sucks), here’s how to watch the Alien movies in order and judge them for yourself.
List of Alien movies in release order
- “Alien” (1979)
- “Aliens” (1986)
- “Alien 3” (1992)
- “Alien: Resurrection” (1997)
- “Alien vs. Predator” (2004)
- “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem” (2007)
- “Prometheus” (2012)
- “Alien: Covenant” (2017)
- “Alien: Romulus” (2024)
- “Alien: Earth” (2025)
How to watch the Alien movies in chronological order
Ready to tackle the entire terrifying Alien timeline? To watch every Alien movie in chronological order, your journey begins long before Ripley ever enters the scene. I list the full sequence below, but first, let’s address the Predator in the room.
You’ll notice the two AVP films technically top the timeline. Their place in the official Alien canon is complicated, which leaves you with a choice on how to plan your Alien movie marathon. Timeline purists can jump straight to “Prometheus,” but completists should begin with “AVP” for the ultimate sci-fi brawl.
Alien movie timeline
- 2004 – “AVP: Alien vs. Predator”
- 2007 – “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem”
- 2089 to 2093 – “Prometheus”
- 2104 – “Alien: Covenant”
- 2120 – “Alien: Earth” TV series
- 2122 – “Alien”
- 2142 – “Alien: Romulus”
- 2179 – “Aliens”
- 2179 – “Alien 3“
- 2381 – “Alien: Resurrection”
How to watch the Alien movies in release order
Sometimes, the release order is the most straightforward approach for watching a film series. Use the links below the trailers in each entry to see where to stream, rent, or buy the Alien movies via on-demand streaming TV services or video-on-demand (VOD) retailers like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home. Whether you do it in chronological or release order is up to you.
“Alien” (1979)
Forever the best Alien movie? Ridley Scott’s Alien is still scary decades after its release—and even on subsequent viewings. And of course, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is still among the best final girls of all time.
Where to watch “Alien”
You can rent “Alien” on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, or Fandango at Home.
“Aliens” (1986)
Lightning strikes twice with this James Cameron-helmed sequel, which sees Weaver’s Ripley awaken after 57 years—and returning to battle the Xenomorphs. This time, her team includes Michael Biehn (“The Terminator,” “Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon”) and the dear, departed Bill Paxton (“Game over, man!”)—who kinda totally stole the show in “Aliens.”
Where to watch “Aliens”
You can rent “Aliens” on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, or Fandango at Home.
“Alien 3” (1992)
Ripley just can’t catch a break—again. Immediately after the events of “Aliens,” it’s go time again. She crash-lands on a prison planet and must lead the inmates in the most important riot of their lives. Directed by David Fincher (“Seven,” “Fight Club”).
Where to watch “Alien 3”
You can rent “Alien 3” on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, or Fandango at Home.
“Alien Resurrection” (1997)
Ripley can’t even [REDACTED—’cause spoilers] to find some peace. Some 202 years after she [REDACTED—sorry, just lookin’ out for your movie experience], she’s [REDACTED—you’ll be thankin’ me later] and called upon to fight the Aliens again. (Have you figured out by now that the spoiler is in the title and not really a spoiler? You’re welcome.)
Where to watch “Alien: Resurrection”
You can rent “Alien: Resurrection” on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, or Fandango at Home.
“Alien vs. Predator” (2004)
A meeting of extraterrestrial killing machines equals box-office smash—or not. While awesome on paper, the final product failed to impress critics and fans.
Where to watch Alien vs. Predator
You can rent “Alien vs. Predator” on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, or Fandango at Home.
“Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem” (2007)
Screw it, let’s do it again! To be fair, we all kinda wanted to know more about the Xenomorph-Predator lovechild teased in the first AVP movie. Alas, “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem” fared worse than the last film, which seemingly laid to rest any plans for a third date.
Where to watch “Alien vs. Predator: Requiem”
You can rent “Alien vs. Predator: Requiem” on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, or Fandango at Home.
Pro tip: “Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem” (Uncut) is eight minutes longer than the theatrical version. You can rent or buy the film on Amazon Prime Video.
“Prometheus” (2012)
An Alien prequel from “Alien” director Ridley Scott that defies expectations while providing some crowd-pleasing moments.
Where to watch “Prometheus”
You can rent “Prometheus” with an HBO Max subscription or rent it via Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, or Fandango at Home.
“Alien: Covenant” (2017)
Another prequel from Scott, “Alien: Covenant” is set 11 years after “Prometheus” (and 18 years before the original “Alien”) and is more recognizable as an Alien movie.
Where to watch “Alien: Covenant”
You can rent “Alien: Covenant” via Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, or Fandango at Home.
“Alien: Romulus” (2024)
Perhaps taking a cue from the Saw series, director-writer Fede Álvarez and co-writer Rob Sayagues set “Alien: Romulus” between “Alien” and “Aliens,” which is while Ellen Ripley was sleeping off her first alien encounter. (Considering Ripley napped for 57 years, that leaves a lotta room for more Alien movies—just sayin’.) “Romulus” follows a new crew on a new ship, still fighting the same old scary enemies.
Where to watch “Alien: Romulus”
You can watch “Alien: Romulus” with a Hulu subscription or rent it via Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, or Fandango at Home.
“Alien: Earth” (2025)
Creator Noah Hawley brings the universe’s most iconic, acid-drooling/bleeding party crashers straight to our home turf — Earth, circa 2120 — in this sci-fi prequel TV series brimming with corporate backstabbing and rogue synthetics.
Where to watch “Alien: Earth”
You can watch “Alien: Earth” with a Hulu subscription.
How to watch the Alien movies in order FAQ
Where can I watch the Alien movies?
At the time of writing, you can rent most of the Alien movies on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, or Fandango at Home. Also, you might be able to find certain titles in the series on HBO Max or Hulu.
Will there be more Alien movies or shows?
Always. You can’t wipe out the Xenomorphs completely. The "Alien: Earth TV" series, from creator Noah Hawley, is already bringing the terror to our home planet. And the success of "Alien: Romulus" makes it a safe bet that we’ll be seeing more tales of horror from the far reaches of space.
