The 30 Best Movies Similar to Alien: Covenant (2017)

Prometheus appears because its narrative trajectory forms the foundation for Alien: Covenant, connecting directly to the events and setting of that film. As a standalone feature, Prometheus intrigues with its exploration of unknown worlds and the mysteries at the fringes of human understanding.

A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race. Prometheus is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 4m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 6.6 by 13,430 people. The movie made an estimated total of $403,354,469 in the box office.

Sunshine is included thanks to its depiction of a space crew on a high-stakes mission, where tension and psychological stress drive the suspense. This film remains gripping through its visually stunning depiction of deep space and the mounting pressure faced by its characters.

Fifty years into the future, the sun is dying, and Earth is threatened by arctic temperatures. A team of astronauts is sent to revive the Sun — but the mission fails. Seven years later, a new team is sent to finish the mission as mankind’s last hope. Sunshine is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 7.0 by 4,355 people. The movie made an estimated total of $34,800,000 in the box office.

Event Horizon belongs here due to its intense horror atmosphere set within the confines of a spacecraft, where unseen forces challenge the crew's sanity. The movie stands out for its relentless dread and memorable, claustrophobic visuals.

In 2047, a group of astronauts are sent to investigate and salvage the starship Event Horizon which disappeared mysteriously seven years before on its maiden voyage. However, it soon becomes evident that something sinister resides in its corridors. Event Horizon is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 36m runtime, released in 1997 with an average rating of 6.6 by 3,392 people. The movie made an estimated total of $26,700,000 in the box office.

Pandorum earns its place by unfolding a chilling struggle for survival inside a spacecraft plagued by mysterious threats. The film is memorable for its escalating sense of isolation and unpredictability, delivering a suspenseful environment throughout.

Two crew members wake up on an abandoned spacecraft with no idea who they are, how long they've been asleep, or what their mission is. The two soon discover they're actually not alone – and the reality of their situation is more horrifying than they could have imagined. Pandorum is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 2009 with an average rating of 6.6 by 2,713 people. The movie made an estimated total of $20,648,328 in the box office.

Life fits this list through its depiction of a group of astronauts confronting unexpected danger on a remote mission in space. Its tight pacing and sharp sense of danger make the film a tense, nerve-wracking journey from start to finish.

The six-member crew of the International Space Station is tasked with studying a sample from Mars that may be the first proof of extra-terrestrial life, which proves more intelligent than ever expected. Life is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 44m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 6.5 by 8,019 people. The movie made an estimated total of $100,541,806 in the box office.

Europa Report is recognized for its documentary-inspired storytelling approach to space exploration, immersing viewers in a plausible near-future setting. The film's realistic tone and slow-building suspense create a uniquely engrossing viewing experience.

A crew travels to Europa, Jupiter’s icy moon, to investigate signs of life in its subsurface ocean, but disaster cuts them off from Earth, leading to a tense and dangerous exploration. Europa Report is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 30m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 6.3 by 1,572 people. The movie made an estimated total of $125,687 in the box office.

The Thing is featured because it crafts paranoia and fear within an isolated research team, much like the sense of mistrust that arises in dangerous, unknown territories. Its mounting tension and innovative creature effects leave a lasting impact.

A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims. The Thing is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 49m runtime, released in 1982 with an average rating of 8.1 by 8,106 people. The movie made an estimated total of $19,629,760 in the box office.

Annihilation is included based on its exploration of a transformative and hidden environment fraught with existential peril. The movie's striking visuals and thought-provoking narrative establish a profoundly unsettling atmosphere.

A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don't apply. Annihilation is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 55m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 6.4 by 9,493 people. The movie made an estimated total of $43,070,915 in the box office.

Underwater belongs on this list due to its relentless, survival-driven narrative set in a hostile, remote environment. Intense action coupled with creature-driven suspense makes Underwater a thrilling, pulse-pounding experience.

After an earthquake destroys their underwater station, six researchers must navigate two miles along the dangerous, unknown depths of the ocean floor to make it to safety in a race against time. Underwater is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 35m runtime, released in 2020 with an average rating of 6.3 by 3,547 people. The movie made an estimated total of $40,882,928 in the box office.

The Last Days on Mars joins the recommendations for its depiction of an isolated scientific team encountering deadly threats on a distant planet. The film stands out through its growing sense of chaos and uncertainty.

On the last day of the first manned mission to Mars, a crew member of Tantalus Base believes he has made an astounding discovery – fossilized evidence of bacterial life. Unwilling to let the relief crew claim all the glory, he disobeys orders to pack up and goes out on an unauthorized expedition to collect further samples. But a routine excavation turns to disaster when the porous ground collapses and he falls into a deep crevice. His devastated colleagues attempt to recover his body. However, when another vanishes, they start to suspect that the life-form they have discovered is not without danger. The Last Days on Mars is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 38m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 5.5 by 934 people. The movie made an estimated total of $24,084 in the box office.

Alien stands at the origin of Alien: Covenant, with both films drawing upon the terror of the unknown unleashed aboard a starship. Alien’s masterful use of atmosphere and tension has cemented its reputation as a benchmark in science fiction horror.

During its return to the earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. When a three-member team of the crew discovers a chamber containing thousands of eggs on the planet, a creature inside one of the eggs attacks an explorer. The entire crew is unaware of the impending nightmare set to descend upon them when the alien parasite planted inside its unfortunate host is birthed. Alien is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 57m runtime, released in 1979 with an average rating of 8.2 by 16,619 people. The movie made an estimated total of $104,931,801 in the box office.

Aliens is included for escalating the confrontation between humans and deadly extraterrestrial forces, expanding upon peril and action. Its adrenaline-fueled pace and strong ensemble cast make it a standout entry in sci-fi cinema.

Ripley, the sole survivor of the Nostromo's deadly encounter with the monstrous Alien, returns to Earth after drifting through space in hypersleep for 57 years. Although her story is initially met with skepticism, she agrees to accompany a team of Colonial Marines back to LV-426. Aliens is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 17m runtime, released in 1986 with an average rating of 8.0 by 11,029 people. The movie made an estimated total of $183,316,455 in the box office.

Pitch Black is relevant here due to its focus on survivors fighting for their lives against monstrous creatures in a distant world. The movie is notable for its unique visual style and the unpredictable evolution of its protagonist.

When their ship crash-lands on a remote planet, the marooned passengers soon learn that escaped convict Riddick isn't the only thing they have to fear. Deadly creatures lurk in the shadows, waiting to attack in the dark, and the planet is rapidly plunging into the utter blackness of a total eclipse. With the body count rising, the doomed survivors are forced to turn to Riddick with his eerie eyes to guide them through the darkness to safety. With time running out, there's only one rule: Stay in the light. Pitch Black is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 2000 with an average rating of 6.9 by 4,887 people. The movie made an estimated total of $53,187,659 in the box office.

Sphere is on this list because it weaves together psychological unease and mystery within a confined, high-tech setting. Its cerebral approach, combined with enigmatic suspense, creates an atmosphere that leaves audiences guessing.

A spacecraft is discovered at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, presumed to be at least 300 years old and of alien origin. A crack team of scientists and experts is assembled and taken to the ocean floor to investigate. However, the ship is not as it seems and when a giant perfect sphere is discovered in the cargo bay, things begin to fall apart. Sphere is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 14m runtime, released in 1998 with an average rating of 6.1 by 1,867 people. The movie made an estimated total of $37,020,277 in the box office.

The Cloverfield Paradox warrants inclusion through its collision of science fiction and suspense within the confines of a space station. Elements of unpredictability and shifting reality propel its energetic, interconnected plot.

Orbiting above a planet on the brink of war, scientists test a device to solve an energy crisis and end up face-to-face with a dark alternate reality. The Cloverfield Paradox is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 42m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 5.6 by 3,629 people.

Apollo 18 finds its place by turning the setting of outer space into a source of dread, using a found-footage approach to increase realism. The film excels at building a convincing sense of tension and unease.

Officially, Apollo 17 was the last manned mission to the moon. But a year later in 1973, three American astronauts were sent on a secret mission to the moon funded by the US Department of Defense. What you are about to see is the actual footage which the astronauts captured on that mission. While NASA denies its authenticity, others say it's the real reason we've never gone back to the moon. Apollo 18 is a movie from Canada in English, with a total 1h 26m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 5.3 by 1,118 people. The movie made an estimated total of $25,562,924 in the box office.

Inseminoid is featured because it revolves around deadly threats to a space crew, escalating tension and fear in alien surroundings. The movie captivates with its intense scenarios and claustrophobic locations.

A crew of interplanetary archaeologists is threatened when an alien creature impregnates one of their members, causing her to turn homicidal and murder them one by one. Inseminoid is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 31m runtime, released in 1981 with an average rating of 4.1 by 122 people.

Leviathan is apt for this list, immersing viewers in an undersea facility where an unknowable menace closes in. Strong visuals and an ever-increasing sense of impending doom set it apart among sci-fi horror stories.

Underwater deep-sea miners encounter a Soviet wreck and bring back a dangerous cargo to their base on the ocean floor with horrifying results. The crew of the mining base must fight to survive against a genetic mutation that hunts them down one by one. Leviathan is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 38m runtime, released in 1989 with an average rating of 6.0 by 578 people. The movie made an estimated total of $15,704,614 in the box office.

Saturn 3 appears thanks to its exploration of a remote base where technological advances become a threat, heightening suspense through isolation. Its distinct atmosphere and tension-driven plot make it a compelling entry.

In the future, Earth is overcrowded and the population relies on distant bases to be fed. In the Saturn 3 station, Major Adam and the scientist Alex, who is also his lover and has never been on Earth, have been researching hydroponics for three years in the base alone with their dog Sally. Captain Benson arrives Saturn 3 with Hector, incapable to controlling his emotions he transfers his homicidal tendency and insanity to Hector. Now Major Adam and Alex are trapped in the station with a dangerous psychopath robot. Saturn 3 is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 27m runtime, released in 1980 with an average rating of 5.3 by 224 people. The movie made an estimated total of $4,900,000 in the box office.

Solaris stands out for delving deep into psychological and emotional turmoil aboard a space station orbiting a mysterious planet. The film impresses with its introspective tone and meditative storytelling style.

A troubled psychologist is sent to investigate the crew of an isolated research station orbiting a bizarre planet. Solaris is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 39m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 5.9 by 1,483 people. The movie made an estimated total of $30,002,758 in the box office.

Outland's inclusion is justified by its use of a remote, lawless space setting to amplify the stakes in its suspenseful narrative. Its combination of dramatic tension and isolation lends the film a memorable identity.

On the sunless moon Io, Marshall William T. O’Niel goes toe-to-toe with the corrupt manager of a mining colony and his gang of roughnecks while investigating a rash of worker suicides. Outland is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 50m runtime, released in 1981 with an average rating of 6.4 by 716 people. The movie made an estimated total of $17,374,595 in the box office.

Dead Space is included as it presents a deadly outbreak scenario within a distant outpost, ramping up horror elements amid the isolation of space. The movie’s brisk pacing keeps the suspense ever-present.

On the planet Phaebon, a controlled research facility had been thought to be safe... until a breach unleashes alien terrors unknown. Dead Space is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 12m runtime, released in 1991 with an average rating of 3.8 by 57 people.

Opera as a Life Force appears on this list because of its unique title that hints at otherworldly or existential themes akin to journeys in distant or dangerous environments. Its distinct perspective promises a different, potentially thought-provoking experience.

Opera as life force is a story about an unknown opera culture, the Tibetan one, and about art's ability to heal and develop in exile. Opera as a Life Force is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 2m runtime, released in -0001 with an average rating of 0.0 by 0 people.

Supernova belongs here for its depiction of a deep-space crew tasked with confronting unforeseen perils in an unforgiving universe. The film’s commitment to fast-paced action and unpredictable developments sustains viewers’ attention throughout.

Set in the 22nd century, when a battered salvage ship sends out a distress signal, the seasoned crew of the rescue hospital ship Nova-17 responds. What they find is a black hole--that threatens to destroy both ships--and a mysterious survivor whose body quickly mutates into a monstrous and deadly form. Supernova is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 31m runtime, released in 2000 with an average rating of 5.0 by 444 people. The movie made an estimated total of $14,828,081 in the box office.

The Void is featured due to its uncompromising horror atmosphere and mysterious threats faced by a group of characters in an isolated facility. Its surreal imagery and relentless pace make for an unsettling journey.

In the middle of a routine patrol, officer Daniel Carter happens upon a blood-soaked figure limping down a deserted stretch of road. He rushes the young man to a nearby rural hospital staffed by a skeleton crew, only to discover that patients and personnel are transforming into something inhuman. As the horror intensifies, Carter leads the other survivors on a hellish voyage into the subterranean depths of the hospital in a desperate bid to end the nightmare before it's too late. The Void is a movie from Canada in English, with a total 1h 30m runtime, released in 2016 with an average rating of 6.0 by 1,466 people. The movie made an estimated total of $151,042 in the box office.

Color Out of Space earns its recommendation for harnessing cosmic horror within a secluded setting, plunging characters into an ever-worsening crisis. Its striking visual palette and mounting sense of dread make it remarkably memorable.

The Gardner family moves to a remote farmstead in rural New England to escape the hustle of the 21st century. They are busy adapting to their new life when a meteorite crashes into their front yard, melts into the earth, and infects both the land and the properties of space-time with a strange, otherworldly colour. To their horror, the family discovers this alien force is gradually mutating every life form that it touches—including them. Color Out of Space is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 51m runtime, released in 2020 with an average rating of 6.1 by 1,736 people. The movie made an estimated total of $1,023,510 in the box office.

Silent Running is included because it places characters in the isolation of space, prompting existential reflection amidst environmental stakes. The gentle pace and emotive narrative provide a poignant perspective within the science fiction genre.

After the entire flora goes extinct, ecologist Lowell maintains a greenhouse aboard a space station for the future with his android companions. However, he rebels after being ordered to destroy the greenhouse in favor of carrying cargo, a decision that puts him at odds with everyone but his mechanical companions. Silent Running is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 29m runtime, released in 1972 with an average rating of 6.4 by 650 people.

The Abyss finds its spot thanks to its use of a confined, high-tech environment under threat from the unknown. Strong character dynamics and suspenseful sequences define its reputation as an engaging adventure.

A civilian oil rig crew is recruited to conduct a search and rescue effort when a nuclear submarine mysteriously sinks. One diver soon finds himself on a spectacular odyssey 25,000 feet below the ocean's surface where he confronts a mysterious force that has the power to change the world or destroy it. The Abyss is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 20m runtime, released in 1989 with an average rating of 7.4 by 3,521 people. The movie made an estimated total of $90,000,098 in the box office.

Dark Star rounds out this page with its restrained, low-budget depiction of a space crew handling strange challenges. Its blend of humor and absurdity offers a refreshingly offbeat take on life in deep space.

A group of scientists are sent on a mission to destroy unstable planets. Twenty years into their mission, they have to battle their alien mascot as well as a "sensitive" and intelligent bombing device that starts to question the meaning of its existence. Dark Star is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 23m runtime, released in 1974 with an average rating of 6.0 by 660 people.

Alien³ deserves its place for continuing the aftermath of the original Alien saga, maintaining a focus on characters grappling with relentless alien threats. Its bleak tone and atmospheric intensity make for a distinctive continuation.

After escaping with Newt and Hicks from the alien planet, Ripley crash lands on Fiorina 161, a prison planet and host to a correctional facility. Unfortunately, although Newt and Hicks do not survive the crash, a more unwelcome visitor does. The prison does not allow weapons of any kind, and with aid being a long time away, the prisoners must simply survive in any way they can. Alien³ is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 54m runtime, released in 1992 with an average rating of 6.4 by 6,485 people. The movie made an estimated total of $159,773,545 in the box office.