10 ‘Alien’ Rip-Offs That Are Actually Great
One of the most influential science-fiction films of all time was released 45 years ago: Alien. In the time since Sigourney Weaver kicked the titular xenomorph off her escape capsule, there have been three additional films in the main franchise, two crossovers with the Predator franchise, two prequels, and countless rip-offs. With the arrival of Alien: Romulus this week, here are 10 of the best movies inspired by Alien you can stream right now.
Species (1995)
Supposedly, during the production of this erotic science-fiction thriller, H.R. Giger, the award-winning designer who created the creatures in this film and Alien, told the producers of Species that its script had too many similarities to Ridley Scott's classic, including creatures bursting from someone's chest. "Why must Species be made so much in a repeat way?" Giger asked in Cinefantastique magazine. "We must have better ideas and should not be known as the rip-off people of other films."
Where to stream: MGM+, Tubi, Hoopla, Pluto TV, Digital rental
DeepStar Six (1989)
If it hadn't come out a few months before The Abyss, this horror film would have been accused of ripping off James Cameron's masterpiece about benevolent beings under the sea. Instead, critics rightfully accused filmmakers of cribbing its story of a creature that hunts down the crew of an underwater military base from Alien. Despite losing points on originality, it's still a fun watch.
Where to stream: Digital rental
Event Horizon (1997)
The sci-fi psychological horror film Event Horizon doesn't owe much to Alien in terms of story: Its plot revolves around a crew that slowly goes mad and is probably more in debt to The Shining than anything else. However, when it comes to the look and design of this underrated cult classic, filmmakers may have some explaining to do. Everything from the look of the rescue ship to entire shot sequences was copied from Alien to make this dark cult classic.
Where to stream: Paramount+ with Showtime, Digital rental
Galaxy of Terror (1981)
The makers of Event Horizon also copied some of the elements from this Roger Corman-produced B-movie about a rescue mission that goes wrong when alien creatures hunt down its crew members one by one by using their darkest fears. This blatant rip-off is famous for the production design of Aliens director James Cameron (the experience, as this video claims, would help him give the sequelits futuristic military aesthetic) and infamous for a graphic rape scene involving an alien.
Where to stream: Prime Video, Peacock, AMC+, The Roku Channel, Vudu, Tubi, Crackle, Shudder, Digital rental
Pitch Black (2000)
If the internet is to be believed, this cult classic is based on a rejected Alien 3 script. It makes sense, as the plot concerns the survivors of a crashed spaceship that must escape the ravenous creatures on the planet they've landed on. The twist is that the aliens only come out at night, and the one person who can help them survive is Riddick (Vin Diesel), a bald criminal who can see in the dark. Does that mean Riddick is supposed to be Ripley in this scenario?
Where to stream: Starz, Digital rental
Outland (1981)
There is a theory online that Outland and Alien are unofficially connected because they were released within a couple of years of each other and share a similar costume design. The xenomorphs are the only thing missing from this sci-fi western starring Sean Connery, though many critics pointed out that the plot owes more to High Noon than it does to Alien.
Where to stream: Digital rental
The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)
Perhaps better known for its unusual release than for being an Alien rip-off, this straight-to-Netflix entry in J.J. Abrams' Cloverfield franchise is about a crew of scientists in the future looking for a solution to Earth's energy crisis. What follows are a bunch of sci-fi tropes that seem eerily similar to a particular groundbreaking 1979 film, culminating in a "monstrous" finale that may or may not be connected to 2008's Cloverfield.The Cloverfield Paradox received so much attention because its trailer played once during the Super Bowl and announced the film would be streaming on Netflix immediately after the game, with millions of people watching it afterward without one critic seeing it beforehand.
Where to stream: Netflix
Deep Rising (1998)
Before Stephen Sommers started The Mummy franchise, he wrote and directed this fun hybrid of The Poseidon Adventure and, you got it, Alien. It also came out right as James Cameron's Titanic was still on top of the box office, so movie fans already tired of hearing Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" took some joy in an octopus-like creature devouring the rich on a luxury cruise ship.
Where to stream: Hoopla, Digital rental
Underwater (2020)
Kristen Stewart, rocking Ripley's Alien 3 hairstyle, is a member of a team of engineers living in a claustrophobic laboratory miles below the ocean surface. She's part of a mining team drilling on the ocean floor, but little do they realize they've awakened a monster. Much like Deep Star Six, this film has no qualms about what it is (an Alien rip-off, obviously) but makes good use of its limited-light setting, ensuring that its jump scares really work.
Where to stream: FXNOW, Digital rental
Life (2017)
Stop me if you've heard this one before: A crew of scientists aboard a space station discovers an organism that grows and hunts down each crew member one by one. While this film has some great twists for its stellar cast (including Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal), there's no mistaking this horror hybrid for what it is: an Alien rip-off.
Where to stream: Netflix, Digital rental
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Despite the numerous Alien rip-offs that have been released since the original film, many viewers continue to seek out the best entertainment in this genre, and streaming services have made it easier than ever to stream these movies.
For instance, if you're in the mood for a classic Alien rip-off, you can stream Species (1995) on MGM+ or rent it digitally. Alternatively, if you're interested in more modern takes on the franchise, you can stream Underwater (2020) on FXNOW or rent it digitally.
