30 Woman-Friendly Horror Movies for the Thrill-Seeking Feminist
By Emily Scott
Alien
Alien, Image via 20th Century Fox/Courtesy Neal Peters Collection
Sub-Genre: Supernatural/Extra-terrestrial
What it’s about: Ellen Ripley, a warrant officer, and six other members of the crew of the spacecraft Nostromo, are awakened from their stasis by the ship’s computer. The ship had detected a possible distress signal from a nearby planetoid. When the crew begins to investigate the planetoid, they discover the remains of a giant alien, along with eggs. One member of the crew inspects them, only to be attacked by an alien that bursts out. They return to the ship and address the attacked member, who after the incident seems fine. That is, until an alien bursts from his chest and is let loose in the Nostromo. Now Ripley and the rest of the crew must figure out a way to get it out, without spilling its corrosive blood and damaging their spacecraft. But that becomes even more difficult than it seems when they discover the betrayal of someone they trust.
What makes it feminist: Ellen Ripley is one of the most iconic female protagonists in any genre. As one of the first mainstream sci-fi movies to feature a woman at the forefront, there is a lot that could be (and has been) discussed about the feminism of Alien. But Ripley’s characterization as sharp, practical, and still vulnerable establishes a well-rounded female lead. She is continuously making decision, only to be over-ridden by higher-ranking male colleagues. Ripley’s choices are by and large made for the good of the crew – as when she tries to enforce a quarantine protocol to keep the alien from breaching the ship. Most of her male colleagues, however, are motivated by their own self-interest or their need to be the hero. This is an apt microcosm of an aspect of patriarchy; even when a woman has better ideas, they can be scrapped in favor of saving a man’s ego.
Ripley has to keep overcoming micro-aggressions from her white male colleagues in order to succeed against the alien; and that’s no accident. There are incidents of symbolic objectification of Ripley and women in general throughout the film. And, at the end, even the movie itself takes a left turn to objectify Ripley. But ultimately, the net gain of feminism and the prototype of the well-drawn female horror protagonist make Alien a worthwhile watch.
Trigger Warning: Some believe Alien implies that the monster rapes its victims, but there is no actual sexual violence portrayed.