‘Alien: Earth’ Stuns Critics With Stellar Rotten Tomatoes Score – “Hawley Has Done It Again”

The new Alien franchise installment, Alien: Earth, is getting a lot of buzz from critics ahead of its release on August 12, 2025, on FX and FX on Hulu. Created by Noah Hawley, the show is a prequel to the original 1979 Alien movie, taking place two years before those events.

The story follows a young woman and a group of soldiers after their spaceship crash-lands on Earth, where they face a terrifying new threat.

Since the review embargo lifted, early reactions have been mostly very positive. On Rotten Tomatoes, Alien: Earth earned an impressive 91% approval rating based on 34 reviews. While this score might change as more critics weigh in, it already shows strong excitement about the series.

Critics praise the show for combining classic Alien elements with fresh ideas. They say it captures the dark, suspenseful feel of the original movie but also introduces new twists that keep the story interesting and modern. The series is considered by some as the best Alien project since James Cameron’s Aliens, with gripping storytelling and thrilling moments.

Many reviews highlight the strong visuals, including beautiful cinematography and detailed production design. The series also balances scares with occasional dark humor, making for a thrilling viewing experience. The mix of tension, horror, and a bit of fun is seen as a winning combination.

Plenty of elements of this show are fun revisions on a classic, but Wendy’s story is enough to make you wonder if science fiction will ever get a new gimmick.

Allison Picurro

Hawley has done it again, delivering an Alien show that’s scary, fun, and thoughtful — often all at once.

Sean Boelman

Alien: Earth is the ultimate sci-fi series for fans of Alien. The series feels as if it perfectly embodies all the best parts of the original film, while still embracing and expounding on new concepts to make the franchise feel fresh and new.

Jamie Parker

The result is an imperfect series, but arguably the franchise’s strongest outing since James Cameron’s Aliens. Seriously — at its best, it really is that good.

Will Salmon

As Noah Hawley successfully proves with Alien: Earth, this universe works best when all of its possibilities are rolled into one captivating, thrilling, and heady experience.

Ross Bonaime

However, not all reviews are positive. A few critics feel the show takes too long to build its story and that some characters are hard to connect with. They also mention that some of the deeper ideas about technology and humanity are dropped in favor of more action and violence, which may disappoint those hoping for a more thoughtful approach.

Unfortunately, “Alien: Earth” gets the balance wrong. The prequel series, set two years before the events of the first “Alien,” spends too long setting up a story that only barely gets going by the time the eight-episode season comes to an end.

Dominic Baez

Characters are frustratingly opaque to the point that Alien: Earth more frequently recalls Hawley’s failed directorial effort, Lucy in the Sky. And its lofty ideas about transhumanism are abandoned in favor of a few more (admittedly incredible) massacres.

Hoai-Tran Bui

Overall, Alien: Earth is shaping up to be an exciting addition to the Alien universe. According to critics, Noah Hawley has done a great job making a show that appeals to longtime fans while also bringing something new to the table. Fans of sci-fi and horror will likely find a lot to enjoy when the series premieres soon.

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