Alien Movies: Chronological Viewing Guide

The Xenomorph from the Alien film franchise is one of the coolest and most nefarious movie monsters ever created, renowned for its acid blood, mouths-within-mouths, and diabolical claws. This creature virtually single-handedly (and multi-teethily) pioneered the space horror genre, giving an entire generation a new boogeyman to fear. With the recent release of Alien: Romulus, now streaming, you might be eager to dive into a full rewatch of the Alien franchise, including the Alien/Predator crossover films, which are indeed set on Earth.

But what is the best order to watch them? We've got you covered with comprehensive listings for the Alien movies, both in chronological order and by release date.

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• How to watch in chronological order
• How to watch by release order

The Alien Movies in Chronological Order

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How Many Alien Movies Are There?

There are a total of nine movies in the Alien franchise — four in the mainline series of films, two Predator crossovers, two prequels from Ridley Scott, and the newest addition, a standalone movie from Fede Álvarez.

Alien: 6-Film Collection

4See it at Amazon

Alien: Romulus

0See it at Amazon

Alien: 35th Anniversary Edition

2See it at Amazon

Aliens

1See it at Amazon

Prometheus

1See it at Amazon

Alien Movies in (Chronological) Order

1. AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)

The story of the Xenomorphs begins, time-wise, in the first of the two crossover films for the franchise, AVP. Set in 2004, Alien vs. Predator, directed by Paul W. S. Anderson of Resident Evil and Event Horizon fame, brought to life a "battle of the titans" concept that originated in a 1989 comic. In the film, humans discover that Predators (aka the "Yautja") have been coming to Earth for thousands of years. Ancient cults worshipping them would sacrifice themselves to a Xenomorph Queen's brood — the facehuggers — producing adult Xenomorphs, allowing the Predators to hunt the "ultimate prey." Suffice it to say, things go badly during the Predators' 2004 hunting trip.

Alien vs. Predator

20th Century Fox

Aug 13, 2004

PG-13

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2. Aliens vs Predator: Requiem (2007)

Still set in modern times, and therefore still happening before everything else in the Alien franchise, the crossover sequel Aliens vs Predator: Requiem picks up right where AVP left off. An Alien-Predator hybrid — the "Predalien" — is now on the loose in a small Colorado town. A skilled, veteran Predator arrives to help clean up the mess, and an ample amount of carnage ensues. This would be the final crossover film of the Alien franchise. For more information, you can check out our guide to the Predator movies in order.

Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem

Davis Entertainment

Dec 25, 2007

R

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