First rate horror, oozing dread and despair

Rating: 9/10 (3 January 2012)

Ridley Scott's "Alien" has easily advanced to the definitive modern day horror classic by hiding the horror rather than showing it, thus appealing primarily to the viewer's imagination and omitting in-the-face special effects. The man in a costume, cheesy must-have in all kinds of sci-fi and horror flicks of the fifties and sixties, still serves his purpose in this film, which however has the advantage of being masterfully directed. "Alien" is a perfectly slow paced composition of shadows, noises, musical cues, a film of claustrophobic, tense atmosphere oozing dread and despair, all this creating suspense in the most accomplished Hitchcockian sense: The film provides a scenario where the unknown danger is as unpredictable as it is certain that it does strike.
Aside from its directorial brilliance, "Alien" of course also has one of the most innovative monster designs in movie history to offer (H.R. Giger's incredibly beautiful otherworldly creature), another excellent Jerry Goldsmith score, exceptionally strong characters and an outstanding female lead in Sigourney Weaver - and last but not least there's that perfect script, which makes a relatively simple idea into an unforgettable story. Put in three words: First rate horror.