Spielberg called it the greatest science fiction horror in history (you’ll probably agree with him)

Steven Spielberg is often called the ‘father of modern horror’. The American director laid the foundation for the genre in the film Jaws. And some of Spielberg’s techniques are still actively used in horror films today.

Not surprisingly, fans were very interested in which of the horror films Spielberg himself considered the best. To the surprise of many, the director chose a very old film as his favorite horror film: 1979’s Alien.

Spielberg called it the greatest science fiction horror in history (you’ll probably agree with him) – image 1

By modern standards, Alien isn’t a particularly scary film. There are no jump scares or tons of blood, but there is a viscous atmosphere, excellent acting, and an incredibly creepy design for the main monster: the xenomorph.

Perhaps this is why Spielberg chose Alien as his favorite horror film. Ridley Scott’s film is a masterpiece of cinema, and not just another cheap attempt to scare the viewer.

Moreover, Alien wouldn’t have been made without Spielberg’s help. Screenwriter Dan O’Bannon pitched Alien to producers as “Jaws in space,” and 20th Century Fox executives immediately greenlit the project.

Spielberg called it the greatest science fiction horror in history (you’ll probably agree with him) – image 2

Russian viewers fully agree with Spielberg’s opinion. Nearly 320 thousand Kinopoisk users rated the quality of Scott’s film as incredible because of the horror 8.1 points, making Alien the 142nd best film in history.

Unfortunately, Spielberg himself never returned to the horror genre after Jaws. But he still filmed his response to ‘Alien’. The film “ET Extra-Terrestrial” is “Alien” in reverse, because in it the alien personifies kindness and humans represent evil.