Review of Alien (1979) by Thomas L — 27 May 2014

"In Space, no one can hear you scream".

The cheapest trick one can pull off in a hroor-movie is an overkill of unexpected jjump-scares (one could then argue that the jump-scares actually are quite predictable, though). Or a horror movie can far too easily forget about the characters and atmosphere and become a mndless gorefest (Saw, anyone?).

What makes Alien so spectacular is how simplistic a concept it is and yet how brilliantly it is executed. The first thing to notice is the characters. While they are not really all that memorable or do anything particular, they still get their needed presence on the screen to make us actually care about them.

The other thing that makes Alien such a monumental horror movie is the masterful suspense. There is the constant knowing that the Alien is there, and yet we never really know if it is actually there. What makes this so much more relatable is how the crew does not understand the very creature itself. And one always fear what one cannot understand.

While some of the special effects do feel dated, the set pieces and art direction still holds up relatively well. On a technical level, the film is also supported by a fittingly eerie score to create an atmosphere. The movie also keeps going back and forth between calm and intense. The ending, though, is where the suspense absolutely peaks. The whole sequence is filled to the brim with tension, fear and utter despair.

Alien is simly a masterpiece of suspense, fear, terror, despair and horror in general, and a milestone in movie-making. Though the concept is not all that original, Ridley Scott still manages to take an old concept and make it his own.