A film’s reputation is a moving target. Initial reactions give way to critical reappraisals. Flops become cult classics. Sometimes we misremember how a work was received in the first place.
For much of the last 30 years, Alien 3 has been regarded as a flop, a major letdown after the genre-exploding successes of 1979’s Alien and 1986’s Aliens, and the worst film in the franchise. The film’s poor reputation was burnished before it was even released, codified by its own director and strengthened by a passionate fan base. Alien 3 was a famously troubled production; several directors came and went during pre-production, its script was in a state of flux while the film was being shot, and its first-time film-maker – a young music video director named David Fincher – engaged in daily battles with producers for creative control.
