20 Baffling IMDb Top 250 Placements You Won't Believe
12. Alien
The Film:
Ridley Scott's beloved science-fiction horror movie follows a spaceship crew being hunted by a terrifying alien organism on-board their spaceship. Well-known for its production design, the legendary Xenomorph creature and its incredible heroine, Ellen Ripley.
Placement: #51
Why It's Wrong:
Currently, Alien is the 4th highest-rated horror film of all time of IMDb, behind Seven, The Silence of the Lambs and Psycho. There are many other horror films lagging behind such as The Shining (#61), The Thing (#163) and Jaws (#236). Several brilliant horror films aren't even on the list, including Halloween, Carrie and The Wicker Man.
Horror films don't do well on the IMDb Top 250, but Alien has really broken through. That's explainable in some ways. It's a visual masterwork, rich in symbolism and authenticity. The great monster and fantastic performances from Sigourney Weaver and Ian Holm, heighten its powers further. Alien is one of those movies where the devotion it inspires seems a little excessive.
The thing is, Alien isn't that scary anymore and the famous chest-burster scene has aged horribly. It's atmospheric, but not nearly as scary as people say it is. It's a very good horror film, but there are loads of very good horror films and it sometimes feels like people are so attached to this because of how full of iconic moments it is. There are plenty of other horror movies which are just as good, if not better, and it feels this one should be lower down.
Where It Should Be: #150-#200