Director Ridley Scott’s iconic 1979 sci-fi horror-thriller Alien starring Sigourney Weaver has become one of the most beloved franchises in film history. Few movies have been able to evoke the same sense of escalating, claustrophobic tension like Alien, and that coupled with the terrifying xenomorph facehuggers and chestbursters has continued to inspire generations of filmmakers.
Whether you're in the mood to rewatch the Alien franchise movies, or check out some similar titles, check out these 10 movies like Alien that are available to stream online now!
Event Horizon
Event Horizon is a 1997 classic starring Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Jason Isaacs, and Kathleen Quinlan. Like Alien, the film takes place in the future (2046) on a spaceship where things start to go wrong. The crew in question is sent on a mission to retrieve the Event Horizon, a ship that went missing and whose crew has mysteriously disappeared. Once aboard the seemingly abandoned ship, they begin to realise something far more sinister is afoot.
Life
Life is a 2017 film starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, and Ryan Reynolds as members of a crew of scientists on the International Space Station. After they discover a new lifeform, their wonder turns to fear as it becomes clear the creature is intent on destroying them and any living creature it comes across. Like Alien, Life takes place within the tight confines of a spaceship in which a deadly alien entity grows as it hunts down the crew one by one.
Leviathan
Levian is a 1989 sci-fi horror film starring Peter Weller, Richard Crenna, Amanda Pays, and Ernie Hudson. While Alien takes place aboard a ship in space, Leviathan’s plot unfolds in the depths of the ocean in the confines of a deep sea station. With a storm raging above and no possibility of rescue, the crew find themselves trapped with the result of a genetic experiment gone wrong. Similar to Alien, Leviathan traps its crew in a confined space with a terrifying and rapidly evolving monster.
The Thing
Legendary horror director John Carpenter helms this 1982 classic starring Kurt Russell, Keith David, and A Wilford Brimley. The story takes place in a remote research station in the Antarctic where a team of scientists have gathered to study an alien creature found frozen in the ice after some 100,000 years. But as it unthaws, it becomes clear the creature is still alive and intent on destroying them. To make matters worse, it is capable of assuming the form of any being it kills, making anyone a suspect. Like Alien, The Thing takes place in close quarters, and the terror of the unknown is used to ratchet up the suspense to great effect.
Pandorum
Pandorum is a 2009 film starring Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Norman Reedus, Antje Traue, and others. Similar to Alien, Pandorum takes place within the confines of a spaceship — this time in the year 2174. Sent on a mission to colonise a distant planet, crewmembers Payton and Bower are put into a prolonged hypersleep. But when they wake up disoriented and with amnesia, it becomes clear that they are not alone on the ship. Pandorum is full of suspense, twists, and malicious hidden monsters sure to make your skin crawl almost as much as the xenomorphs.
Underwater
This 2020 sci-fi horror stars Kristen Stewart, Vincent Cassal, and TJ Miller as members of a crew of scientists working in the depths of the Mariana Trench at the bottom of the ocean. When a massive earthquake caused by their drilling destroys their underwater station, the crewmembers must make their way across the dark and treacherous ocean floor to find safety. Like Alien, Underwater features terrifying monsters that hunt their prey from the dark, and the tensions and stakes only ramp up throughout the film as time and oxygen run out.
Sputnik
This 2020 Russian-language film stars Oksana Akinshina as an unorthodox doctor who is recruited to analyse a cosmonaut recently returned from space. After surviving an accident during reentry, the cosmonaut is put into quarantine where it is discovered he unknowingly brought back an alien lifeform that is living inside of him. The alien only comes out at night when the cosmonaut is asleep — and it feeds on human flesh. Although Sputnik is more of a drama than Alien, the gore, violent nature of the alien, and the symbiotic relationship between the creature and humans make this film worth a watch if you love Alien.
The Descent
This 2005 horror starring Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Mendoza, Alex Reid, MyAnna Buring, Saskia Mulder, and Nora-Jane Noone tells the grizzly story of six friends who go on a spelunking trip into the depths of a cave in North Carolina. After they descend, they find that they are trapped, and — to make matters worse — they are not alone in the dark. If you want a film like Alien that has more gore and horror elements, make sure to check out The Descent.
The Mist
Based on Stephen King’s novella of the same name, The Mist was adapted in 2007 by Frank Darabont into a film starring Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, and Toby Jones. It takes place in a small town in Maine which, after a violent thunderstorm, becomes enveloped in a dense mist. As the mist descends, the inhabitants of the town realise there are terrifying creatures lurking inside of it. The Mist is a tense horror film in which, like Alien, the creatures menacing the inhabitants are only briefly seen but their threat is constantly felt.
Annihilation
Director Alex Garland’s 2018 sci-fi horror Annihilation features an all-star cast including Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Oscar Isaac, and Benedict Wong. Portman stars as a scientist sent on an expedition to a mysterious zone known as the Shimmer to find out what happened to her husband. The Shimmer was created as the result of a meteor crash, and it has the effect of warping DNA, producing mutated plant and animal life within its confines. As the mystery of what happened unravels and the members of the expedition begin to turn on each other, the borders of reality blur. If you love the escalating sense of foreboding in Alien mixed with brief moments of shocking violence, make sure to check out Annihilation.
Where can I watch movies like Alien online?
Find out how (and where) to watch all of the 10 movies like Alien by scrolling down to the list below. The films are all available to stream across a variety of platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, ITVX, and more!
