Ridley Scott’s Alien is a sci-fi horror masterpiece that has left an indelible mark on the genre, influencing countless other films and securing its place as a cultural phenomenon. The film’s iconic finale is a testament to its enduring impact, and it’s essential to revisit the original’s terrorizing conclusion to understand why it has remained so influential. As the story begins, the crew of the intergalactic mining vessel Nostromo is alerted to a mysterious signal from a local moon, prompting them to investigate. As they explore the alien ship, they discover a mysterious corpse with a massive hole in its chest, leading them to realize that the signal is actually a warning.
As the crew’s curiosity gets the better of them, they uncover an odd room filled with leathery eggs, and Kane’s bravery is met with a terrifying encounter with a facehugger, the first stage of the xenomorph lifecycle. The creature’s attack leaves Kane dead, and the crew is left to wonder what has happened to him, unaware of the horrors that are to come. As they search for Kane, they discover the chestburster has emerged, and they are met with a devastating battle to save their own lives.
Ridley Scott’s Alien (Image via Getty)
The xenomorph becomes a deadly little alien, using the ship’s air vents to travel around and picking off the crew members one by one. The remaining crew rigs up flamethrowers and goes on the hunt for the beast, but it seems to be always one step ahead. Parker and Lambert are beginning to lose hope, while Ripley remains suspicious of Ash and the ship’s AI, Mother. Her suspicions are eventually confirmed when she discovers that Ash is actually an android working against the crew to bring back the xenomorph to Weyland-Yutani.
The crew’s final plan is to blow up the Nostromo with the creature inside, but Ripley must fight for her life against the alien in a desperate bid to escape. She creates a makeshift flamethrower and arms herself, preparing for a final confrontation with the beast. As she faces the monster, she’s acutely aware of the odds against her, but she refuses to give up. With a surge of adrenaline, she lashes out at the alien, determined to outwit it.
Ripley’s plan is to don a suit, open a hatch, and expel the creature through the shuttle airlock. She’s banking on the alien’s attachment to her and her chances of escape increasing with each passing moment. However, the creature will not be so easily defeated, and it holds on tight, refusing to relinquish its grip. In a last-ditch effort, Ripley blasts the creature into space using the shuttle’s thrusters, ending the film on a cliffhanger as she descends into hibernation with Jones the cat on board.
