Alien

During its return to the earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. When a three-member team of the crew discovers a chamber containing thousands of eggs on the planet, a creature inside one of the eggs attacks an explorer. The entire crew is unaware of the impending nightmare set to descend upon them when the alien parasite planted inside its unfortunate host is birthed.

Now considered a landmark of science fiction horror, Alien was met with a more divided critical response on release than its reputation suggests — some reviewers found the atmosphere and craft genuinely terrifying, while others dismissed it as a slick but hollow exercise. The film's lasting canonical status is a product of time and audience devotion more than initial critical unanimity.