Looking for something perfect to binge this weekend? Cancel your plans and lock your doors. The entire core Alien franchise is finally streaming in one place, HBO Max!
To help you navigate the timeline without getting your face hugged, we have laid out the perfect chronological watch order. Forget release dates—this is how the nightmare actually unfolds from beginning to end.
1. AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Cast: Sanaa Lathan, Lance Henriksen, Raoul Bova
The Plot: A billionaire funds an expedition to a pyramid buried deep under the Antarctic ice. They accidentally walk right into a rite-of-passage hunting ritual between Predators and Xenomorphs.
The Cut to Watch: Stick with the Theatrical Cut for pacing, or the Extended Cut if you want a cool historical flashback scene at the beginning.
2. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Director: The Strause Brothers
Cast: Steven Pasquale, Reiko Aylesworth, John Ortiz
The Plot: Picking up immediately after the first AVP, a ship crashes in a small Colorado town, unleashing a horrific hybrid “Predalien.”
The Cut to Watch: Go with the Extended Cut. It restores some much-needed gore. (Warning: This movie is notoriously dark and hard to see visually, so turn your brightness up!)
3. Prometheus (2012)
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron
The Plot: Set in 2093, a trillion-dollar expedition travels to a distant moon to find the creators of humanity. Instead, they find a weaponized black goo and the origins of the Xenomorph.
4. Alien: Covenant (2017)
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride
The Plot: Set in 2104 (11 years after Prometheus), a colony ship lands on a paradise planet, only to realize the android David has been playing mad scientist with the local wildlife.
5. Alien (1979)
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt
The Plot: Set in 2122, the blue-collar crew of the Nostromo investigates a distress signal on a barren moon and accidentally brings back the perfect killing machine.
The Cut to Watch: The Theatrical Cut. Ridley Scott actually prefers the original pacing, though the Director’s Cut has a cool scene involving human cocoons.
6. Alien: Romulus (2024)
Director: Fede Álvarez
Cast: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Isabela Merced
The Plot: Set in 2142 (exactly 20 years after the first Alien), a group of young space scavengers board a derelict research station and find out why we don’t mess with Weyland-Yutani projects.
7. Aliens (1986)
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton
The Plot: Set in 2179, Ripley wakes up from 57 years of cryo-sleep and goes back to that same moon with a squad of heavily armed Colonial Marines.
The Cut to Watch: The Director’s Cut / Special Edition is the absolute definitive way to watch this movie. It adds incredible emotional depth to Ripley’s character and awesome automated turret action.
8. Alien³ (1992)
Director: David Fincher
Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance
The Plot: Picking up immediately after Aliens, Ripley crash-lands on a grim, weaponless prison planet with a stowaway Xenomorph.
The Cut to Watch: The Assembly Cut is mandatory here. The studio butchered the theatrical cut. The Assembly Cut restores David Fincher’s grim, epic vision.
9. Alien Resurrection (1997)
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, Ron Perlman
The Plot: Set in 2379 (200 years after Alien 3), military scientists clone Ripley to extract the alien queen inside her, creating a hybrid clone with massive attitude and acidic blood.
The Cut to Watch: Stick with the Theatrical Cut here. The Special Edition has a weird alternate intro and an ending that doesn’t quite fit the tone.
Looking for something with fewer Xenomorphs and face huggers? We’ve also got a list of new streaming blockbusters out now on Fandango at Home.
You have Successfully Subscribed!