An Intense, Authentic, Timeless Blend of Horror and Sci-Fi

Rating: 10/10 (14 June 2017)

A fantastic time-capsule from the late '70s, the era of patient filmmaking, practical effects and potent new ideas. In borrowing from and expanding upon themes first incubated in Kubrick's 2001, director Ridley Scott delivers a tangible, chilling take on humanity's star-faring future. The basic concept is devilishly simple: a hapless freighter crew lands on an uncharted planet, picks up a murderous uninvited guest, then spends the rest of the picture trying (and failing) to outlast it in a claustrophobic environment. But there's so very much more to it than that. Expert character development rewards us with an intensely human, accessible crew. It really hurts each time one of them succumbs to a howling, terrified death. The film represents a master class in tension-building, investing long spans of film in thick, dramatic pauses that pay dividends. It works as a social allegory, too: even generations from now, with our destiny amidst the stars, the working class draws the short straw and risks everything for a meager paycheck. And, perhaps most impressive of all, it's a jaw-dropping visual powerhouse. The style in this film is unmatched, from the fuzzy monitors and tangled wires aboard the flight deck to H.R. Geiger's legendary grotesque monster and environment designs. We enjoy a constant sense of wonder, awed by what we're seeing but grounded by the perceived physical reality of it all. All this, and I haven't even mentioned the acting, direction or effects work. A sci-fi legend through and through, this is one of the best-realized (and finest-aging) genre torchbearers ever.