From “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” and “The Phantom of the Opera” in the 1920s to “Sinners” and “Weapons” in 2025, horror movies have consistently captured people’s imaginations across cinematic history. Settling in with a bucket of popcorn or a blanket to watch a scary movie can elicit excitement, thrills, and even genuine fear.
Sometimes, before scrolling through a streamer hoping to find their next form of eerie entertainment, viewers might turn to IMDb’s charts, including the voter-rated Top 250 Movies chart, to help navigate the endless pool of horror offerings available at their fingertips these days. But while the chart includes several one-off genre classics like “Psycho” and “The Shining,” the only horror franchise represented is “Alien,” with its first two entries — 1979’s “Alien” and 1986’s “Aliens” –coming in at number 49 and 69 respectively at the time of this writing.
Both star Sigourney Weaver as persistent protagonist Ellen Ripley. In “Alien,” she is part of a space crew who discover they have been invaded by a deadly extraterrestrial lifeform. She returns in “Aliens” to investigate the loss of contact with an inhabited space colony only to find the new world overtaken by bloodthirsty creatures.
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Alien broke the mold in terms of horror — and female protagonists
Ellen Ripley holds Newt tight while battling Xenomorphs in Aliens – 20th Century Fox
The first two films in the “Alien” franchise took sci-fi horror to new heights, with “Alien” quickly becoming a gold standard of the genre, while “Aliens” flipped the script with an action-packed yet emotionally engaging blockbuster sequel. Their pioneering blend of realism, suspense-built action, and groundbreaking visuals, particularly in the design and execution of the villainous xenomorphs, continue to blow audiences away to this day.
Meanwhile, Weaver’s Ripley — who starred in the first four entries of the ongoing “Alien” franchise — is largely considered to be cinema’s first female action hero and became a feminist icon that has spanned decades. Her unapologetic intelligence and tough, persistent nature made her an enthralling hero in Ridley Scott’s “Alien,” while her fiercely resilient perseverance in the James Cameron-helmed “Aliens” put her in a cinematic league of her own.
While the “Alien” franchise is still alive and well in 2025 — most recently adding 2024’s “Alien: Romulus” and the TV series “Alien: Earth” — the now 76-year-old Weaver’s last appearance as Ripley was in 1997’s “Alien: Resurrection,” though rumors persist that she may still resurrect her iconic character.
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Read the original article on Looper.
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