Alien: Earth is out next week, and judging by the critics’ reviews, this is a contender for the best new TV show of the whole of 2025.
The first season of Alien: Earth has landed with a 90% Rotten Tomatoes, at the time of writing. And the sheer level of praise coming out of some notable reviews could make you think that rating is perhaps even a little low for what we get.
Before we dig into what the critics have said, those in the UK will be able to watch the first two episodes of Alien: Earth from August 13th on Disney Plus. It’s out in the US on August 12th.
The show is set before the events of the original Alien, as a mysterious vessel containing all manner of alien nastiest crashes into Earth. Have a look at one of the early teasers, which doesn’t give away more than this very zoomed-out premise, released back in January.
Alien: Earth reviews
IGN gave Alien: Earth one of the most glowing reviews of the lot, with a 9/10 score attached
“Noah Hawley has made an amazing piece of science fiction on the strength of solid production and creature design, an incredible cast, and needle drops that make me want a cigarette,” said the reviewer.
The one critique is that at the end of the season, “it does start to feel a little rushed,” making you hope this one does get greenlit for a second run.
Empire’s review is also a total Alien: Earth love-in, with a 5/5 score. It’s “nothing short of a triumph” according to the publication.
“An Alien saga at once familiar and entirely fresh. An unsettling transhuman fable that stands on its own without aliens at all. An acutely cinematic experience, precision-tooled for hour-long instalments,” the review reads. Its only substantive criticism is that, as a prequel, there’s obviously a natural ceiling on where it can go — but even that is couched in more praise.
Film Stories has only seen the first couple of episodes we’ll get to witness on August 13th, but does come up with some useful impressions for those in a household not that primed for horror. “Hawley’s series is more tense than frightening,” reads the review, should you need ammo to coax a partner into watching. And the general take is otherwise a positive one.
“Assuming Alien: Earth can maintain the quality of storytelling of these first two episodes we could be in for something truly special – and horrifying – over the next few weeks.”
CBR gave Alien: Earth yet another 9/10 score, calling it “the ultimate sci-fi series for fans of Alien.”
As noted by IGN, the vibes are very much those of the 1979 movie rather than those of the later films and its various spin-offs.
“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,” reads the review.
We actually had to have a bit of a dig around to find any particularly notable negative Alien: Earth reviews. But we did find one, from The Seattle Times.
Its main issue is with the pacing of the show.
“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,” it says.
Where others say the Alien: Earth approach is thought-provoking, this review says the show meanders, “taking hours to ponder what it means to be human as the story introduces us to the first half of its core concept: hybrids, synthetic beings infused with the consciousness of a human.”
Of course, the original 1979 Alien also took its time to get going, so perhaps it’s just more of that old-school approach having its effect.
From reports earlier this year, we may not have to wait long for Alien: Earth season 2. Back in late 2024, CBR reported work was already underway on the second season, with filming planned for Thailand, where much of the first season was also shot.
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