Alien was groundbreaking in its depiction of space travel; it was (and to a large degree, still is) the norm to show all space travel, no matter how far in the future, as being the domain of pioneers and explorers, in gleaming white console rooms. Here space travel has clearly been going on for a while, and the crew of the Nostromo are basically space-truckers (or at best the space-merchant-navy), while the ship itself is industrial looking and lived-in.
When they accidentally pick up the Alien, the confined setting gives plenty of scope for claustrophobia, while the labyrinth of corridors which comprise much of the ship give the creature plenty of room to hide, allowing that the Alien could be anywhere. This mixture of claustrophobia and hiding spots gives the movie a lot to play with in the way of suspense.
The talent in the movie is undeniable; from Ridley Scotts' tight direction of Dan O'Bannon's superb script, to Giger's amazing creature design, to a stellar cast featuring Sigiurney Weaver and John Hurt.
Weaver is brilliant as Ellen Ripley, the ship's 3rd in command, who is thrust into the role of hero.
It's easy nowadays to see alien as a feminist movie, with it's trying female protagonist, and some have interpreted the famous "chest buster" scene as being a play on Men's fear of childbirth... For me though, the film has never been about "a woman". Maybe it's because when I first saw it I was told enough to appreciate that sexism was a thing, but I've always seen Ripley as simply "the hero"... A strong character who happens to be female, rather than a female hero.
In any case, Scott crafted an excellent movie, and one I strongly suggest you see.
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