Synopsis
After investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin, the crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform.
Scores
Overall Score
93.5
Popularity Percentile (Year)
98.7%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
88.2%
Review Aggregate
91.3
Critic Consensus
Critic reception is largely positive, with 93% of 201 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize scary, thin plot, visually striking. Most critics frame the film as an effective delivery of its core style and intent.
scarythin plotvisually strikingsuspensefulcharacter-drivengrittyrealisticfunnystylizedcoming of age
Cast
| Cast | Year | Reported Salary | Inflation Adjusted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Skerritt | 1979 | $662,000 | $2,860,000 | (est) |
| Sigourney Weaver | 1979 | $35,000 source | $151,233 | reported |
| Veronica Cartwright | 1979 | $307,000 | $1,326,000 | (est) |
| Harry Dean Stanton | 1979 | $251,000 | $1,084,000 | (est) |
| John Hurt | 1979 | $215,000 | $927,000 | (est) |
| Ian Holm | 1979 | $189,000 | $816,000 | (est) |
| Yaphet Kotto | 1979 | $170,000 | $733,000 | (est) |
Aggregated Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes critic score93.0
RT critic review count206
Rotten Tomatoes audience score94.0
RT audience rating count250,000
IMDb rating8.5
IMDb votes1,032,524
Box Office ?
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 1979 | $78,944,890 | $341,115,883 |
| International | 1979 | $54,860 | $237,047 |
| Worldwide | 1979 | $78,999,750 | $341,352,930 |
Earnings / Profitability
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||
| Theatrical Net Revenue | 1979 | $39,494,389 | $170,652,760 |
| Digital Rentals ? | 1979 | N/A | N/A |
| Digital Purchases ? | 1979 | N/A | N/A |
| Physical Rentals ? | 1979 | $2,985,000 | $12,897,996 |
| Physical Purchases ? | 1979 | $3,507,000 | $15,153,525 |
| TV & Streaming Revenue | 1979 | $22,104,569 | $95,512,447 |
| Total Revenues | 1979 | $68,090,958 | $294,216,730 |
| Expenses | |||
| Budget ? | 1979 | $11,000,000 | $47,530,305 |
| Print & Advertising (P&A) ? | 1979 | $12,364,000 (est) | $53,424,063 (est) |
| Participations | 1979 | $5,447,000 | $23,536,143 |
| Residuals ? | 1979 | $1,532,000 | $6,619,675 |
| Interest & Overhead | 1979 | $2,200,000 | $9,506,061 |
| Total Expenses | 1979 | $32,543,000 | $140,616,248 |
| Movie Net Profit or Loss | 1979 | $35,547,958 | $153,600,482 |
Similar Movies
| Poster | Movie | Year | Match | Overall | Est. Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Aliens | 1986 | Shared franchise (1) | 96.9 | $60,886,184 |
 | Alien³ | 1992 | Shared franchise (1) | 84.8 | $49,593,158 |
 | Alien: Resurrection | 1997 | Shared franchise (1) | 82.7 | $4,246,742 |
 | Alien: Romulus | 2024 | Shared franchise (1) | 94.2 | $32,312,722 |
 | Alien: Covenant | 2017 | Shared franchise (1) | 88.9 | $-13,749,586 |