episodes of Love, Death & Robots that deserve to be feature-length movies thanks to their rich, vivid storytelling.

Although Fincher served as a producer and creator of the anthology since its conception, it wasn’t until the show’s third season that he decided to actually direct an episode himself. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this episode ended up being one of the show’s most acclaimed and popular stories, with its slick, stylish direction standing out as an obvious strength. However, the episode brings back some unwelcome memories of Fincher’s tumultuous time in the Alien franchise.

I'm Still Angry About David Fincher's Alien 3

The Director's Alien Sequel Was A Huge Disappointment

While it may seem like a brilliant idea on the surface to involve David Fincher with the iconic Alien franchise, his contribution ended up being one of the weakest sequels in the entire series. And while much of this comes down to domineering studio interference and a lack of experience on Fincher’s part, it’s hard to justify many of the decisions that are made in this underwhelming sequel. In fact, David Fincher has even disowned his own movie in the years since Alien 3’s release, claiming that his creative involvement wasn’t as strong as he would have liked.

My biggest issue with Alien 3 is just how unfamiliar it feels in comparison to the two movies that came before it - not only does it lack the visceral horror of Alien, but it’s also missing the high-octane action of Aliens. It’s a murky combination of the two styles, and as a result, it feels fairly lost and directionless. While the later Alien sequels have done a great job of getting this franchise back on track, Alien 3 remains an underwhelming entry in the series that sticks out among the crowd.

Love, Death & Robot's David Fincher Episode Is A Great Fantasy Horror Story

This Episode Almost Redeems Fincher For Alien 3

Thankfully, David Fincher has managed to redeem himself for Alien 3 with an episode of his highly acclaimed anthology series Love, Death & Robots. The animated show is a collection of short stories that spans a huge range of genres, mostly taking place in the distant future and exploring how our society may have changed from today. Incidentally, the episode “Bad Traveling” in the show’s third season was directed by Fincher and clearly draws inspiration from the Alien movies.

The story constitutes one of Love, Death & Robots’ best episodes, taking the audience on an intense journey through space where a shark-hunting vessel is attacked by a huge creature with a large appetite. While Fincher’s sci-fi crustacean is very different from the Xenomorphs in Alien, the episode is clearly influenced by Ridley Scott’s storytelling and pays homage to the franchise where the director made his name. Despite only being 22 minutes in length, this episode is a gripping adventure that makes the most of its unique premise with effective scares and immersive world-building.

David Fincher Should Take Another Swing At Alien

Fincher Has Proven He's Improved As A Director Since Then

While Fincher’s existing sequel certainly isn’t the best Alien movie, there are certain aspects of the narrative that work really well, proving just how much storytelling talent the filmmaker had even back in 1992. With the experience that he’s gathered over the years, and without all the behind-the-scenes drama that made Alien 3 such a scattered project, it’s easy to imagine that he’d be able to make a much better sequel today.

While Fede Álvarez was a brilliant choice for Alien: Romulus, Ridley Scott’s decision to step back from directing these movies is the perfect opportunity for another auteur filmmaker to step into the spotlight and give the franchise a new breath of life.

I would be surprised if Fincher wanted to return to Alien after the overwhelmingly negative reception of Alien 3, but now would be the perfect time. While Fede Álvarez was a brilliant choice for Alien: Romulus, Ridley Scott’s decision to step back from directing these movies is the perfect opportunity for another auteur filmmaker to step into the spotlight and give the franchise a new breath of life. Fincher would be an excellent choice: he has the experience, the accolades, and the free schedule to rectify his mistakes with Alien 3 and try something new outside of Love, Death & Robots.