What are the best movies and shows to watch before Alien: Romulus? The new movie marks the seventh – ninth if you include Alien vs Predator – instalment in Ridley Scott’s long-running franchise, and frankly, there’s a lot to catch up on. Luckily, director Fede Álvarez’s film is intended to be a standalone sequel that harkens back to the series’ roots by keeping the chest-busting action all in one haunted spaceship.
However, there’s no denying that you find more enjoyment in watching the newly released Alien: Romulus with some foundational Extraterrestrial knowledge – and that’s where we come in. This list of the 10 best movies and shows to watch before Alien: Romulus will catch you up on the basics of the Alien timeline before you head to the cinema while also introducing you to other worlds created by Álvarez and Scott.
Whether you prefer horror or watching the best alien movies, look no further; these will scratch that itch. And if you want to go even deeper into Alien lore, then check out our piece on how to watch the Alien movies in order. Just be sure to not let any spider-like creatures get on your face…
10. Alien
Release date: 1979
Ridley Scott’s original sci-fi horror is terrifying. In fact, it's one of the best horror movies of all time. Sigourney Weaver plays Ripley, a crew member of the Nostromo who intercepts a mysterious transmission from a nearby planet. The team decides to investigate, only to discover a derelict alien ship. When one particularly investigative Nostromo officer – Kane, played by the late, great John Hurt – goes on ahead and finds a strange egg, a creature bursts out and attaches itself to his face.
The rest of the crew wonder what to do with Kane, but little do they know the monster they have invited on board their ship. Alien really is as terrifying a watch today as back in the late ‘70s. Scott’s masterful direction ratchets up the tension while Weaver gives her star-making performance as Ripley. It’s also worth noting that Alien: Romulus takes place between the events of Alien and Aliens, making this something of a must-watch for anyone going to see Fede Álvarez’s new movie.
Follow-up with Aliens: The sequel that takes the franchise in an unexpected direction, swapping horror for action under James Cameron’s direction. Some will argue Aliens is even better than Alien, though we will leave that debate for another article…
9. Prometheus
Release date: 2012
Following two fairly average Alien sequels, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, plus two crossover spin-offs with the Predator franchise (more on those later), Ridley Scott decided to revamp his Alien series with a prequel that delves into the origins of mankind. Prometheus ends up being less like an Alien movie and more a philosophical look at what makes a human a human, which, at the time of release, proved a controversial choice. Fans wanted more Xenomorphs and less Michael Fassbender as an android butler.
However, Prometheus is an underrated gem, introducing epic mythology to the series and featuring brilliant performances by Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Noomi Rapace, and Fassbender in spectacularly creepy form. Plus, with this being a prequel to Alien, Prometheus also acts as a prequel to Alien: Romulus, making it a must-watch. You can read our Prometheus review for more details!
Follow-up with Alien Covenant: Scott heard those fans complaining about not having enough intergalactic monsters in Prometheus and decided to make a sequel that amounts to a greatest-hits collection of Alien moments – chest-busting galore.
8. Prey
Release date: 2022
Alien: Romulus takes a classic franchise and cuts off all the fat (read: sequels) to deliver a terrifying, standalone sequel. Sound familiar? Prey served the exact same function for the Predator movies – essentially a soft reboot of the series with a new protagonist, all the while paying homage to what came before. In Prey, Amber Midthunder plays Naru, a member of a Comanche tribe who becomes prey for an intergalactic monster.
If you’re after a tense horror that combines with a sci-fi hook, then check out our four-star Prey review. The Disney Plus movie is the perfect introduction to another franchise that has something of a unique relationship with the Alien movies. Dan Trachtenberg directs, and the filmmaker is currently working on a follow-up, a separate Predator spin-off titled Badlands.
Follow-up with Predator: We’re not talking about The Predator, directed by Shane Black, but the original Predator, helmed by John McTiernan. A classic of the genre, Predator remains one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best action movies to date.
7. Alien vs. Predator
Release date: 2004
Following the mediocre reception to the third and fourth Alien movies, and with the Predator franchise laying dormant, Fox decided there was only one thing to do: take a weird crossover comic from 1989 and make it a reality. Thus, Alien vs. Predator was born. At the time, James Cameron was not happy about the series going in such a wayward direction and ceased work on a fifth Alien movie while likening the idea to Frankenstein Meets Werewolf.
Ridley Scott, meanwhile, had zero interest and later admitted he couldn’t put himself through watching the crossover, helmed by Paul W.S. Anderson. Well, Scott’s missing out on a great time. Because once you ignore the flimsy characters and plot shortcomings, you have a stupidly fun film that’s simply ridiculous. Even Cameron came around. “I actually liked it,” he said. “I actually liked it a lot.” Damning praise, but praise nonetheless.
Follow-up with Aliens vs. Predator Requiem: Someone out there loved Alien vs. Predator enough because a sequel was made. It’s not very good… but if you are after more Xenomorphs, then here they are.
6. Evil Dead
Release date: 2013
Fede Álvarez has previous experience rebooting famous franchises. Back in 2013, the director brought the Evil Dead back to cinemas with a terrifying “re-imagining” of Sam Raimi’s beloved classic. Like the original, Evil Dead is the simple story of a group of friends heading out to a cabin in the woods, finding a haunted book, reading aloud an incarnation, and awakening an evil spirit intent on killing them. Just your ordinary weekend away.
Álvarez removes some of the low-budget original’s campy humour, instead infusing his version with a sense of dread. In parts, it can be a slow build, but the result is a blood-curdling gore-fest that’s the ultimate experience in gruelling terror. Jane Levy, who leads the film, would go on to star in Álvarez’s other brilliant horror, Don’t Breathe.
Follow-up with Evil Dead Rises or Don’t Breath: The Evil Dead Rises is another great instalment in the franchise, while Álvarez’s own follow-up, Don’t Breathe, demonstrates the evolution of one of the genre’s most interesting filmmakers.
5. Blade Runner
Release date: 1982
After the success with Alien, Ridley Scott returned to the sci-fi genre with another masterpiece, Blade Runner. Though not featuring the same overt horror as Alien, Scott’s follow-up showcases a bleak future for mankind as Harrison Ford's Deckard, a former police officer, hunts down bioengineered humanoids, called replicants, to "retire" them.
However, his own beliefs about what makes a human are called into question. For anyone with even a passing interest in sci-fi, Blade Runner is a must-watch. But considering this is one of Scott’s other foundational films, anyone heading into Alien: Romulus, which Scott produced, could do a lot worse than seeking out this highly influential classic. It's also one of the best sci-fi movies around, so check it out!
Follow-up with Blade Runner 2049: With no exaggeration, it's wild that director Denis Villeneuve pulled off Blade Runner 2049, a sequel that matches – and, some would argue, surpasses – the original Blade Runner.
4. Raised By Wolves
Release date: 2020 – 2022
Staying on the theme of Ridley Scott’s great work, Raised By Wolves is another great creation from the filmmaker. Unlike everything else on this list, Raised By Wolves is a TV show. Comprising 18 episodes across two seasons, the HBO series centres on two androids who raise a human child after the destruction of Earth.
If you see a throughline to Scott’s work on this list, you’re not the only one. There are echoes of Prometheus and Blade Runner in Raised By Wolves, which features killer performances by Amanda Collin and Abubakar Salim as Mother and Father. Unfortunately, the series was cancelled before its third season entered production, but that’s no reason to miss this deeply philosophical and action-packed story.
Follow-up with Dark: This is another brilliant, lengthy, and complicated viewing experience. There are no androids here; instead, expect time-travel shenanigans and more existential questions about humanity. Dark is one of the best shows on Netflix, period.
3. Event Horizon
Release date: 1997
Want to get in the mood for Alien: Romulus with some non-Alien-related movies? Well, there have been plenty of knock-offs since the original. Event Horizon, though, goes beyond most of them. Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, the film begins with the spaceship Event Horizon appearing in Neptune’s orbit seven years after going missing. A rescue mission is launched, yet the new crew find that things have gone very, very wrong aboard the Horizon.
When Anderson first read the script, he was worried it would be too similar to Alien, as the ship was haunted by strange, tentacular beings. The filmmaker decided to change things up, introducing a more psychological angle and taking inspiration from haunted house stories like The Shining. The result is a uniquely bizarre film that was a box-office bomb, though it has gained a huge cult following. There’s even been talk of a TV series from Godzilla vs. Kong’s Adam Wingard.
Follow-up with Resident Evil: If you’ve watched Alien vs. Predator and Event Horizon, you might as well go all-in on W.S. Anderson and watch the original Resident Evil, arguably his best film.
2. 10 Cloverfield Lane
Release date: 2016
Another repeat director. Before Prey, Dan Trachtenberg directed 10 Cloverfield Lane, a spin-off of the found-footage sci-fi Cloverfield that replaces the original's grand scale with an intimate setting. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman, and John Gallagher Jr. play three people locked in a small bunker. Goodman’s Howard insists they cannot leave because the air outside has been poisoned following an alien attack, which Winstead’s Michelle doesn’t truly believe.
Of course, the horror comes from the other humans, but 10 Cloverfield Lane shares Alien’s DNA in being a tense chamber piece set primarily in a single location. Trachtenberg does a wonderful job keeping things frizzling along at a rapid pace, culminating in a surprising conclusion that, as you would expect, ties into the greater Cloverfield franchise.
Follow-up with Cloverfield: Matt Reeves’ monster horror is produced by J.J. Abrams, which means there are plenty of unanswered mysteries within. Although found footage can often be a gimmick, Reeves showcases how sometimes what you imagine is more terrifying than what you see.
1. The Thing
Release date: 1982.
A single, isolated location. A deadly, mysterious presence. A group ready to be killed off one by one. Yes, we’ve gone over a few, but The Thing stands alongside Alien as the absolute pinnacle of this horror sub-genre. In fact, it's one of the best alien movies of all time.
John Carpenter directs this special-effects-heavy thriller about the inhabitants of an Antarctic space station who are visited by an extraterrestrial horror. Kurt Russell plays the charismatic R.J. MacReady, a helicopter pilot who wants to be anywhere else, while A. Wilford Brimley and Keith David are significant players in the cast.
Despite being a box-office bomb because it was released at just the wrong time (E.T. gave everyone their alien fix that summer), The Thing has become a bonafide classic, thanks in part to Rob Bottin's wonderful, gruesome special effects.
Follow-up with The Fog: This is another Bottin/Carpenter collaboration, this one about a mysterious fog that’s actually a group of vengeful spirits. Released two years before The Thing, The Fog has similarly undergone a critical reassessment, with Carpenter himself calling it a “mini horror classic”.
For more on the new Alien movie, check out our Alien: Romulus review. Or, if you are looking for more releases, check out our guide on all the upcoming movies coming our way.
