David Fincher's feature debut, ALIEN 3, picks up almost directly after the events in ALIENS, finding Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) frozen in suspended animation as her ship crashes on Fiorina 161, a prison planet. When awakened by the prison's staff, she discovers that she is the sole survivor of her crew. Trapped on a barren planet with convicts and no weapons of any kind, Ripley soon realizes that an alien was also on the ship and has survived. As the savage creature begins to massacre inmates, Ripley bands together with the remaining prisoners and attempts to destroy it by wits alone.

Filmed at a time when big guns and high technology dominated the screen, ALIEN 3 deserves commendation for its unique premise--battling a vicious alien creature with no weapons and almost no resources whatsoever. This scenario makes for an unusual and intriguing science fiction thriller that is also notable for Fincher's bleak industrial visuals; the film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.