In space no one can hear you scream!

Rating: 9/10 (1 October 2019)

Alien is a masterpiece of horror and science fiction. Ridley Scott made a film for the ages that sprouted many sequels and a whole industry in itself but it is nice to see how simple the first film is executed. Alien is a perfect example of a director gradually elevating the level of energy and anticipation in a motion picture. The way Scott meticulously raises the sense of menace and tension is worthy of Hitchcock. This atmosphere-soaked production relies on the viewer's imagination to enhance the alien's nightmarishness. Scott carefully restricts how much we see of the creature - there's enough to provide our minds with horrifying images, but not so much that the illusion is spoiled. Alien contains its fair share of genuine scares. These aren't mere "boo" moments, where something benign jumps out of the shadows accompanied by a loud noise and a musical crescendo, but legitimate shocks. The first occurs when the face-hugger leaps out of the egg and attaches itself to Kane. The second is when the alien explodes through Kane's chest. Then, during the hunt for the alien, there are numerous others.