Alien is a Sci-Fi Horror film, directed by Ridley Scott which is about the crew of a merchant vessel receiving an unknown transmission which they choose to treat as a distress call which they go to explore. This leads to horrific and bone-chilling events unfolding before the audience. The sci-fi horror genre expertly uses the unknown as a device to frighten the audience, as there is a common fear of the unknown, and/or what is not understood.