Alien is one of the most iconic sci-fi horror film series ever created, and since its first release in 1979, there has been plenty of growth within its unique universe.
Whether you’re an old-school horror fan or someone who grew up in the era of Alien vs. Predator, binging through this franchise is almost necessary in order to truly appreciate its cultural impact over the years. It can get confusing, much like in other franchises, to figure out exactly what order the series should be watched in. Of course, watching the movies in the order of release is one option, but the Alien franchise has jumped around many times and had its universe scattered over the course of its eight installments, especially in regards to the upcoming release of Alien: Romulus.
As such, fans may want to watch the eerie flicks in chronological order. To help with this, let’s dive in and explore a breakdown of the chronological order of the movies ⏤ just be sure to keep the lights on in the process.
How to watch the Alien movies in chronological order
Regardless of whether the array of sequels appeals to all horror die-hards or not, there’s simply no denying that the Alien franchise is swimming with content to check out. With the huge gaps between releases and different places in the timeline, it can be extremely difficult to pinpoint the right order to take in everything the world of Alien has to offer. Furthermore, you can even throw in the Alien vs Predator movies to spice things up, or witness a head-turning new entry like Romulus. Here’s the official chronological order of all movies in the Alien franchise, according to the timeline of the world in which they take place.
- AVP: Alien vs Predator (2004)
- AVPR: Alien vs Predator – Requiem (2007)
- Prometheus (2012)
- Alien: Covenant (2017)
- Alien: Romulus (2024)
- Alien (1979)
- Aliens (1986)
- Alien 3 (1992)
- Alien: Resurrection (1997)
When you’re done watching these classic features, you’ll finally be ready to join the never-ending internet debate over whether Alien is superior to Aliens, or any of the other decade-spanning wars that the fandom has engaged in since 1979. If you’re looking for more to watch following this binge, why not continue on from AVP with the iconic Predator film series? By doing this, you’ll have plenty more to check out with the most recent edition being made in 2022.
Regardless of your binge order, you can’t go wrong with this series, as its spooks and scares offer plenty of entertainment for thrill-seeking moviegoers. With the government even recently confirming real-life aliens, there’s no better time than now to binge the series in all its glory.