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. I’ll also tell you where you can stream the latest film, Alien: Romulus.
(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, Alien3 (1992), Alien Resurrection (1997), AVP: 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 was a promising entry, too.
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 Resurrection (1997)
- Alien vs. Predator (2004)
- Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
- Prometheus (2012)
- Alien: Covenant (2017)
- Alien: Romulus (2024)
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. Or, even go a step further by watching the first film in the Predator timeline, Prey.
Alien movie timeline
- 2004 – AVP: Alien vs. Predator
- 2004 – Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
- 2089 to 2093 – Prometheus
- 2104 – Alien: Covenant
- 2122 – Alien
- 2142 – Alien: Romulus
- 2179 – Aliens
- 2179 – Alien3
- 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 automatically-updating JustWatch links below 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 and Apple TV. 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 stream Alien
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 stream Aliens
Alien3 (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 stream Alien3
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 stream Alien: Resurrection
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 stream Alien vs. Predator
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 stream Alien vs. Predator: Requiem
Pro tip: Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (Uncut) is eight minutes longer than the theatrical version, but it’s not on JustWatch. 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 stream Prometheus
Alien: Covenant (2017)
Another prequel from Scott, Covenant is set 11 years after Prometheus (and 18 years before the original Alien) and is more recognizable as an Alien movie.
Where to stream Alien: Covenant
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 stream Alien: Romulus
How to watch the Alien movies in order FAQ
Where can I watch the Alien movies?
You can typically find most of the Alien movies streaming on Hulu, but your best bet is to use the JustWatch links in our guide above. They’ll show you exactly where to stream, rent, or buy each film at any given time.
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.
