
Years after surviving an attack by the deadly Xenomorphs, Warrant Officer Ripley joins a rescue team investigating a colony on LV-426. When contact is lost, they discover the planet is overrun by the terrifying creatures, forcing Ripley to confront her past trauma and fight for survival once again.
Does Aliens have end credit scenes?
No!
Aliens does not have end credit scenes. You can leave when the credits roll.
Explore the complete cast of Aliens, including both lead and supporting actors. Learn who plays each character, discover their past roles and achievements, and find out what makes this ensemble cast stand out in the world of film and television.
Discover where to watch Aliens online, including streaming platforms, rental options, and official sources. Compare reviews, ratings, and in-depth movie information across sites like IMDb, TMDb, Wikipedia or Rotten Tomatoes.
See how Aliens is rated across major platforms like IMDb, Metacritic, and TMDb. Compare audience scores and critic reviews to understand where Aliens stands among top-rated movies in its genre.
84
Metascore
8.9
User Score
94%
TOMATOMETER
94%
User Score
8.4 /10
IMDb Rating
80
%
User Score
Challenge your knowledge of Aliens with this fun and interactive movie quiz. Test yourself on key plot points, iconic characters, hidden details, and memorable moments to see how well you really know the film.
Who is the main protagonist of the film?
Ellen Ripley
Carter Burke
Bishop
Newt
Show hint
Discover all the awards and nominations received by Aliens, from Oscars to film festival honors. Learn how Aliens and its cast and crew have been recognized by critics and the industry alike.
The 59th Academy Awards 1987
Art Direction
Film Editing
Music (Original Score)
Sound
Sound Effects Editing
Visual Effects
40th British Academy Film Awards 1987
Best Makeup and Hair
Best Production Design
Best Sound
Best Special Visual Effects
44th Golden Globe Awards 1987
14th Saturn Awards 1987
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Performance by a Younger Actor
Best Writing
Best Costumes
Best Make-up
Best Special Effects
Read the complete plot summary of Aliens, including all major events, twists, and the full ending explained in detail. Explore key characters, themes, hidden meanings, and everything you need to understand the story from beginning to end.
Ellen Ripley, portrayed by Sigourney Weaver, is miraculously rescued after spending 57 long years in stasis, drifting through the void of space. Upon her return, she faces a rigorous debriefing from the Weyland-Yutani Corporation regarding the shocking destruction of her ship, the Nostromo. Skepticism clouds her testimony as the corporation questions her harrowing account of an Alien creature that resulted in the demise of her crew. Determined to convey the truth, Ripley underscores the threat the Alien posed; although she succeeded in eliminating it, she warns that the alien vessel harbored thousands of eggs. Should any find their way to Earth, the consequences could be catastrophic as these creatures gestate within living hosts.
Now located in Zeta Reticuli, the Exomoon LV-426 has transformed into a Terraforming colony named Hadley’s Hope, where about 60 to 70 families have labored for over two decades to create a breathable atmosphere. Tragically, one of the exploratory teams stumbles upon the derelict alien ship, inadvertently triggering a breeding cycle when an egg hatches, leading to disaster as it attaches itself to one of the explorers.
As communication with Hadley’s Hope abruptly ceases, Weyland-Yutani sends representative Carter Burke (played by Paul Reiser) and Colonel Marine Lieutenant Gorman (William Hope) to enlist Ripley’s help in investigating the dire situation. Although haunted by her previous encounter with the Alien, Ripley initially hesitates to join them. However, after grappling with recurring nightmares about the creature, she agrees, provided Burke assures her that the priority will be extermination, not capture.
Aboard the USS Sulaco, Ripley meets the Colonial Marines and the android Bishop (Lance Henriksen), filling her with unease due to her previous traumatic experience with the treacherous android Ash. Upon landing on LV-426, the team discovers the facilities vacated. Signs of struggle are evident, but the colony is eerily empty except for two live face-Huggers contained within a medical lab and one survivor—a young girl nicknamed Newt (Carrie Henn) who narrowly escaped death by hiding in the ventilation system.
Using the colony’s advanced computer systems, the team manages to detect the missing colonists sheltered beneath the power station. As they navigate the station’s dark, secreted corridors, they shockingly uncover colonists cocooned, serving as hosts for Alien offspring. Their mission spirals into chaos when an encounter with a newborn Alien leads to an ambush that results in multiple casualties among the marines.
In a critical moment, panic-stricken Gorman falters, prompting Ripley to assert command, steering their vehicle with dire urgency as they crash through the nest to rescue her fellow marines—Hicks (Michael Biehn), Hudson (Bill Paxton), and Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein). However, disaster strikes when the crew’s drop-ship is brought down by a hidden Alien, forcing Ripley, Newt, Burke, and the surviving marines to seek refuge inside the colony.
Ripley soon uncovers a terrifying plot: Burke had orchestrated the colonists’ visit to the derelict ship, driven by greed and the ambition to exploit Alien specimens for bioweapons. Threatened by her knowledge, Burke’s ulterior motives push Ripley to act. Amidst this betrayal, Bishop reveals an even graver danger: the power plant has sustained serious damage during their conflict and is on the brink of catastrophic detonation.
As Ripley and Newt find momentary safety in the medical lab, their brief respite ends as two face-Huggers are released, prompting a desperate alert to the marines. With the Marines’ timely intervention, they manage to eliminate the face-Huggers. Ripley soon confronts Burke over his ruthless intentions to sacrifice her and Newt, aiming to facilitate his sinister escape plan. The confrontation escalates as Aliens begin an all-out assault, leading to the loss of more lives.
In a race against time, Ripley, horrifically aware of the danger Newt faces, assembles a makeshift weapon and valiantly descends into the depths of the processing station to rescue her from the clutches of the Alien queen. A fierce battle ensues as Ripley destroys the alien eggs, inciting the wrath of the queen who breaks free from her lair, pursuing them with deadly intent. Time is of the essence as they meet Bishop and Hicks, narrowly escaping moments before the colony is obliterated.
Yet the nightmare isn’t over; aboard the Sulaco, they soon discover that the Alien queen has stowed away. In a horrifying twist of fate, she attacks Bishop, dismembering him in her rampage toward Newt. With determination, Ripley engages in an epic showdown against the queen using a powerful Exosuit, ultimately evicting the creature into the void of space. As the survivors—Ripley, Newt, Hicks, and the injured Bishop—enter hyper-sleep for their journey back to Earth, they can finally hope for peace, but the specter of the Alien remains, lurking in memory.
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