Alien: Covenant
A colonization crew lured to an apparently habitable world becomes prey to engineered extraterrestrial life and a dangerous artificial intelligence.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- foreboding
- claustrophobic
- visceral
- late night horror viewing
- science fiction marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film to be a technically polished and satisfying return to close-quarters deep-space terror, while noting that it largely repeats familiar franchise ideas.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
David and Walter embody opposing consequences of human-made intelligence while the crew confronts engineered extraterrestrial life.
The crew encounters infectious biological foes whose attacks turn exploration into visceral survival horror.
The Covenant crew is separated from civilization while investigating a remote habitable planet in uncharted space.
The film contrasts the vastness of an alien planet and deep space with confined spacecraft interiors and close-quarters attacks.
Films like Alien: Covenant, and why
Alien
shared science fiction horror, claustrophobic spaceship setting, biological threat, and existential questions about creation
Prometheus
shared prequel mythology, philosophical science fiction, android characters, and bleak extraterrestrial exploration
Life
shared deep-space survival, hostile alien life, tense crew dynamics, and graphic creature horror
The Thing
shared cosmic isolation, practical creature effects, paranoia, and escalating body horror
Movie Details
- Director
- Ridley Scott
- Release Date
- 2017-05-09
- Runtime
- 122 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (9699)
Cast
- Michael Fassbender
- Katherine Waterston
- Billy Crudup
- Danny McBride
- Demián Bichir
- Carmen Ejogo
- Jussie Smollett
- Callie Hernandez
- Amy Seimetz
- Nathaniel Dean
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Peacock Premium, FXNow, Peacock Premium Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Alien: Covenant about?
- A colonization crew lured to an apparently habitable world becomes prey to engineered extraterrestrial life and a dangerous artificial intelligence.
- What is Alien: Covenant like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Alien: Covenant as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Alien: Covenant violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Alien: Covenant as graphic.
- What did critics think of Alien: Covenant?
- Critics broadly found the film to be a technically polished and satisfying return to close-quarters deep-space terror, while noting that it largely repeats familiar franchise ideas.
- Which films are like Alien: Covenant?
- Films with a similar feel include Alien, Prometheus, Life, and The Thing.
- How long is Alien: Covenant?
- Alien: Covenant runs 122 minutes.
- Where can I watch Alien: Covenant?
- In United States, Alien: Covenant streams on fuboTV, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Peacock Premium, FXNow, Peacock Premium Plus.
