10 “Alien” Heists That Are Actually Great
45 years ago today, one of the most influential science fiction films of all time was released: Alien . Since Sigourney Weaver ejected the titular xenomorph from her escape pod, the main franchise has produced three more films, two crossovers with the Predator franchise, two prequels, and countless rip-offs. With Alien: Romulus arriving this week, here are the 10 best Alien- inspired movies you can watch right now.
Species (1995)
Supposedly, during the production of this erotic sci-fi thriller, H.R. Giger, the award-winning designer who created the creatures in that film and Alien , told the producers of Species that his script had too many similarities to the Ridley Scott classic, including the creatures. bursting out of someone’s chest. “Why must species be created in such frequently repeated ways?” asked Giger in Cinefantastique magazine. “We should have better ideas and not be seen as rip-offs of other films.”
Where to watch: MGM+, Tubi, Hoopla, Pluto TV, digital rental .
Deep Star Six (1989)
If this horror film hadn’t come out a few months before The Abyss , it would have been accused of copying James Cameron’s masterpiece about benevolent creatures under the sea. Instead, critics have rightly accused the filmmakers of rewriting the story of the creature that hunts down the crew of the underwater military base from Alien . Despite losing points for originality, it’s still a fun watch.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Event Horizon (1997)
The sci-fi psychological horror film Event Horizon owes little to Alien in terms of plot: its plot revolves around a team slowly going insane and probably owes its biggest debt to The Shining . However, when it comes to the look and design of this underrated cult classic, the filmmakers may have some explaining to do. Everything from the look of the rescue ship to entire shots was copied from Alien to make this dark cult classic.
Where to watch: Paramount+ with Showtime , digital rental.
Galaxy of Terror (1981)
The makers of Event Horizon also lifted some elements from the Roger Corman-directed B-movie about a rescue mission gone wrong when alien creatures hunt down the crew members one by one using their darkest fears. This blatant rip-off is famous for Aliens director James Cameron’s direction (an experience this video claims helped him give the sequel a futuristic military aesthetic) and is infamous for its graphic rape scene involving an alien.
Where to watch: Prime Video , Peacock , AMC+, The Roku Channel, Vudu, Tubi, Crackle, Shudder, digital rental .
Pitch Black (2000)
According to the internet, this cult classic is based on the rejected Alien 3 script. This makes sense since the plot concerns the survivors of a crashed spaceship who must escape the predatory creatures on the planet they have landed on. The twist is that the aliens only come out at night, and the only person who can help them survive is Riddick (Vin Diesel), a bald criminal who can see in the dark. Does that mean Riddick has to be Ripley in this scenario?
Where to watch: Starz, digital rental.
Outland (1981)
There is a theory online that Alien and Alien are unofficially related because they were released a couple of years apart and have similar costume designs. Xenomorphs are the only thing missing from this sci-fi western starring Sean Connery, although many critics point out that the plot owes more to High Noon than Alien .
Where to watch: digital rental.
The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)
Perhaps better known for its quirky release than its Alien rip-off, this straight-to-Netflix entry in JJ Abrams’ Cloverfield franchise follows a team of future scientists searching for a solution to Earth’s energy crisis. What follows is a collection of sci-fi tropes that seem eerily similar to that particular groundbreaking 1979 film, culminating in a “monstrous” ending that may or may not be related to 2008’s Cloverfield. The Cloverfield Paradox got so much attention because its trailer aired once during the Super Bowl and announced that the film would stream on Netflix immediately after the game and millions of people would watch it later without a single critic seeing it beforehand.
Where to watch: Netflix
Deep Rising (1998)
Before Stephen Sommers started The Mummy franchise, he wrote and directed this fun hybrid of The Poseidon Adventure and, you guessed it, Alien . It also worked out right because James Cameron’s Titanic was still at the top of the box office, so movie fans already tired of listening to Celine Dion’s My Heart got some joy from an octopus-like creature devouring the rich on a luxury cruise. ship.
Where to watch: Hoopla, digital rental.
Underwater (2020)
Kristen Stewart, sporting Ripley’s hair from Alien 3, is part of a team of engineers living in a claustrophobic laboratory miles below the ocean’s surface. She is part of a crew of miners drilling into the ocean floor, but little do they know that they have awakened a monster. As with Deep Star Six , this film has no qualms about what it is (it’s obviously an Alien rip-off) but makes good use of the limited lighting setting, ensuring its jump scares actually work.
Where to stream: FXNOW, digital rental
Life (2017)
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: a team of scientists aboard a space station discovers an organism that is growing and hunting down each crew member one by one. While this film has some great twists thanks to its stellar cast (including Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal), this horror hybrid cannot be mistaken for what it is: an Alien rip-off.
Where to watch: Netflix, digital rental.