Alien

⭐ 8.0/10

(Originally written by Joseph)

As a rule, I don't touch anything with any relation to the horror genre, but my new scratch off poster required this of me so here we are. But I've actually had a interest in this movie for a long time, knowing the influence it's had on movies since it came out 40 years ago. And you know what? I really liked it! It's definitely more thriller than horror, going for slow burning, built up tension rather than cheap scares and gory deaths (though there are a bit of both).

I loved a lot about this movie. My first impression was that it looks fantastic for a movie of this age, similar to the old Star Wars films, but it also never tries to show off what would now be dated special effects, but rather makes timely cuts before it can show its age and break the immersion. I also liked how it told a small, tight story with only a handful of cast members and only one main location. It didn't feel like a sci-fi block buster, but felt smarter and more artistic somehow. In a lot of ways I suppose I liked it for a lot of the same reasons I like Jaws, though this movie has an overall much darker tone.

So yeah, a really great foray into the horror genre for me, and one that I'd recommend if you like movies like Jaws or even Quiet Place.