In celebration of the seminal sci-fi horror movie Alien’s 45th anniversary, Ridley Scott’s film is back in movie theaters. I saw it over the weekend, and even though it’s a movie I’ve seen countless times—on a laptop, on a plane, on TV—but this was my first time seeing it on the big screen. Almost half a century after its release, I was in awe at just how good the movie still looks, which is in large part thanks to its timeless set and costume design.
Even old-tech like the CRTs that we see in the movie are used in such a way that separates them from their real-world origin, giving them a place within the film and its sci-fi world. Having such an identifiable artistic direction gave Alien: Isolation a leg up in development. Developed by Creative Assembly —known for the Total War series— Alien: Isolation released in 2014. It was a shockingly confident entry in the franchise, one that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the films.