Ridley Scott has directed some of the most iconic science fiction movies of all time, from Blade Runner to The Martian. However, few have had the same lasting impact as his 1979 sci-fi horror classic Alien. The film helped redefine the genre by combining the terror of a slasher movie with the vast, isolating setting of outer space, introducing audiences to one of cinema’s most memorable monsters in the process.
Unfortunately, Netflix subscribers won’t have much longer to revisit the legendary sci-fi thriller. Alien is officially set to leave Netflix on Dec. 1, giving subscribers just a few weeks to watch Scott’s R-rated masterpiece before it disappears from the streaming service.
The original isn’t leaving alone, either, as its acclaimed first sequel from director James Cameron, Aliens, is also set to depart Netflix on the same day, making this a last call for fans looking to revisit the iconic sci-fi franchise on the platform.
What is Alien about?
Released in 1979, Alien follows the crew of a commercial spacecraft, who are awakened from their journey home after receiving a mysterious distress signal from a nearby moon. When the crew investigates, they discover a strange alien organism that attaches itself to one of their members. What initially appears to be a medical emergency quickly turns into a nightmare when the creature escapes and begins hunting the crew one by one.
Starring Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, Alien established a franchise that would go on to span multiple decades and genres.
The franchise has spawned multiple sequels, most recently Alien: Romulus (2024), which returned to the series’ space-horror roots. Earlier entries like Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), starring Michael Fassbender as an android, focused more heavily on the origins and mythology of the Xenomorphs. The series has also expanded into video games, including the recent Alien: Rogue Incursion.
With both films leaving Netflix on Dec. 1, fans will have to venture to other streaming services to revisit the entire franchise, but there’s still time to catch its two most iconic entries before they go.
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