10 Best Movie Sequels (Not Directed By The Original Filmmaker)
2. Aliens
Ridley Scott's Alien is a slice of classic sci-fi horror gold. If you looking to mesh those two genres together, Alien is a prime example of what to do and how to do it well.
What follow-up offerings Aliens managed to do, though, is actually top the pulsating terror of that 1979 picture. Released seven years later in 1986, Aliens took what was so brilliant about its predecessor, then added a layer of action and brilliant supporting characters that took things to an entirely different level of special.
It wasn't a returning Ridley Scott directing Aliens, mind, for it was instead fellow legendary director James Cameron who was tasked with the job of bringing the Alien franchise back to life. Fresh off helming The Terminator two years prior, Cameron was viewed as the perfect choice for this sequel - and it's with Aliens that the property was given the scope and extra elements that would allow for this franchise to continue to expand in numerous ways.
Is Aliens better than Alien? That's down to individual preference. Regardless of which way you lean in that debate, there's no argument that both of these two movies are stunning pictures in their own right, and both are exemplary in how to tackle sci-fi horror.