10 Horror Movies That Prove Less Is More

6. Alien

Lake Mungo
Fox

It is impossible to discuss less-is-more filmmaking in the horror genre without foregrounding one of its pioneers - Ridley Scott's Alien.

Though on paper its premise isn't any different from a typical slasher film, Scott's understated approach focuses less on the man-in-suit Xenomorph than it does the cavernous, H.R. Giger-designed ship, and the anxious hum of isolation as the Nostromo's numbers get whittled down.

Its few brief bursts of violence aside, Alien is notable for barely giving the audience a full glimpse of the Xenomorph at all, intentionally cloaking it in shadow, keeping its complete profile hidden, and providing only fleeting flashes of its brutal blood-letting.

Alien is far more concerned with stomach-knotting suspense and sheer atmosphere, in turn creating an unforgettable genre masterwork which has aged like a fine wine in the forty-plus years since.

Unsurprisingly, not a single Alien sequel has managed to recapture that same sense of gut-wrenching anxiety - and quite sensibly, James Cameron's Aliens didn't even try, opting instead to fashion itself as a brilliantly exhausting, full-throttle bug hunt.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.