Now that I’m finally caught up on all of the Alien movies, I’m finally able to sit down and work on a project that I’ve wanted to write — a ranked list of the eight movies in this series from best to worst. My ordering is probably going to be nowhere near what yours or most people’s is, but I wanted to share it anyway. Here we go!

Best: Aliens (1986)

For most fans of this series, there’s no doubt which are the best two films — just which one deserves the top spot. There’s no question in my mind, at least, because James Cameron’s Aliens is one of my all-time favorite films. It moves the series from straight-up space horror to a scifi military adventure with lots of scary monsters, and it’s better for it. Ripley has a great character arc as she moves into adopted motherhood, the pacing and visuals are brilliant, and this bunch of colonial marines are a hoot to know. Plus, it’s definitely the most quotable film in the franchise. Game over man, game over!

Alien (1979)

Ridley Scott’s space horror must’ve stunned audiences back in 1979 that had no idea what they were in for. Unlike every film that came after in this series, viewers were equally clueless as the Nostromo miners about the life cycle and defenses of the xenomorph. Scott’s film is so creepy even before the monster arrives that you’re on edge both loving and hating it the whole time. There are some great story twists here, not the least of which is the fact that third-in-command Ripley ends up being the Final Girl when you fully expect Captain Dallas to be our headlining hero.

Alien Covenant (2017)

I have to say that this movie really grew on me. For days afterward, I couldn’t stop thinking about its different setpieces and its overall story, and that’s a good sign that there’s a lot right that went into this. Ridley Scott returned for his third Alien flick, fortunately getting further away from Promethius’ high-concept nonsense to give us a tense and visually stunning return to form. I adored the new lead character, Daniels, and thought that there was just the right amount of squick with the new neomorphs and the old xenomorphs.

Alien Resurrection (1997)

Joss Whedon-scripted Alien Resurrection is kind of a mess, but it’s a very enjoyable mess even so. It leans more into action and dark comedy, with some interesting moments (such as the spectacular underwater chase sequence). I’m very glad they brought Ripley back, undoing a major mistake from the third film, and I even liked the weird alien-human hybrid that ends up being the main villain.

Alien³ (1992)

Perhaps the most divisive of all of the Alien movies, David Fincher’s entry is unrelentingly grim as it throws Ripley onto a prison planet with no weapons, a bunch of convicts, and one seemingly unstoppable alien. I won’t argue that it’s not a great setting, but the whole story feels like a big step back. Plus, I’ll never forgive this movie for killing Hicks and Newt practically off-screen.

Prometheus (2012)

I was more than a little miffed at Ridley Scott for opting to make a weird prequel that didn’t do much to explain the xenomorphs as it tried to dive into philosophy, religion, and androids. It looks beautiful, don’t get me wrong, and there are some great almost-alien moments, but ultimately I was really bummed by this wasted effort. It seems to be a critical darling, but I’ll take Covenant any day of the week.

Alien vs. Predator (2004)

Ever since Predator 2, we’ve known that both franchises shared the same movie universe. The comics and video games had a blast combining the two all through the 1990s, but it wasn’t until 2004 that we got an actual film with this premise. And it… was the worst of all worlds. It was weirdly PG-13, completely destroyed continuity, and featured so many forgettable characters that my mind draws a blank on them except for the return of Bishop (here, his human predecessor). At least it wasn’t…

Worst: Alien vs. Predator Requiem (2007)

Who even greenlit this mess? Filmed nearly entirely in the inky black of night, Requiem is almost impossible to see — and to care about. Once again, the script writers don’t even try for continuity or personality. Aside from the predator xenomorph, there’s nothing of any redeeming value here.