Alien
8.9/10
jumps
10
gore
6
dread
10
Tap a dot to add your rating.
Where to watch: Streaming on Hulu (US, subject to change)
▶ Watch the trailer
How it scared people
The vibe
A haunted house in deep space where the house wins slowly. Scott's original remains the template for creature horror: blue-collar crew, corporate indifference, and Giger's biomechanical nightmare revealed one glimpse at a time. The chestburster still detonates dinner parties.
Alien (1979) Parents Guide
| MPA rating | Rated R |
|---|---|
| Runtime | 117 minutes |
| Jump scares | 5/5 — among the scariest films on WhatScares |
| Gore | 3/5 — a moderate amount of blood and violence |
| Dread | 5/5 — the kind of film that follows you around for days |
| Themes | monster attacks; characters cut off from help |
Alien is rated R by the MPA. We score it 5/5 for jump scares, 3/5 for gore and 5/5 for lingering dread, over 117 minutes. Older teens and adults — less for what it shows than for how long it stays with you.
We rate what the film does — scares, gore, dread — not scene-level content like language or nudity, which we don't track.
Before you press play
- How scary is Alien?
- On our intensity scale, Alien rates 10/10 for jump scares and 10/10 for dread. It is among the scariest films on WhatScares. The dread keeps climbing even between the big moments.
- How gory is Alien?
- Alien rates 6/10 for gore — expect a moderate amount of blood and violence.
- How long is Alien?
- Alien runs 117 minutes (1h 57m).
- What is Alien rated?
- Alien is rated R by the MPA. On our own scale it rates 10/10 for jump scares, 6/10 for gore and 10/10 for dread — the R tells you what it was certified, those tell you what it will do to you.
- Where to watch Alien (1979)?
- As of our last update, Alien is streaming on Hulu in the US (checked 2026-09-14). Availability changes, so check your service before settling in.
