Why Alien: Romulus Is The Ultimate Sci-Fi/Horror Fusion For New Viewers
By Published Apr 13, 2026, 4:30 PM EDT Sean is a senior writer for ScreenRant and has been writing about new TV releases since December 2026. He has received multiple advance screenings of popular shows and ideated his own coverage read by hundreds of thousands of readers.
Sean is a self-published author of a Western novel. Sean has also written award-winning opinion pieces related to local politics while getting his Bachelor's degree in journalism. follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
One of the best sci-fi movies in recent memory is shooting to the top of HBO Max's streaming charts this week, and it's a perfect film to watch for horror fans. There are plenty of , but some are performing better than others. New releases and classic movies that recently switched streamers usually rise to the top of the streaming charts, but there's one movie on HBO Max that is absolutely perfect for both sci-fi and horror fans.
According to , Alien: Romulus is currently sitting at number seven on HBO Max's list of its top 10 most popular movies in the United States. Romulus is currently being beaten out by newcomers to HBO Max like Sydney Sweeney's Christy, Game Night, and Brendan Fraser's Mummy films. Still, Alien: Romulus is doing very well for itself, and it's the best performing movie in the entire Alien franchise right now.
Alien: Romulus Is A Perfect Blend Of Sci-Fi & Horror
Presumably a big reason Alien: Romulus is doing so well on HBO Max's streaming charts is the fact that it's a perfect blend of science fiction and horror. Romulus has plenty of high concept sci-fi ideas, including space travel, alien lifeforms, androids, and a fantastic retro-futuristic, casette punk visual language. It also has more than enough horror aspects to satisfy fans of the genre, from body horror to jump scares, gore, and some bone-chilling monsters.
The original Alien pioneered most of Romulus' blend of sci-fi and horror, but the newer movie updated it almost flawlessly. Alien came out in 1979, and while it is a classic, there are certain elements of the movie that can appear dated. Romulus, on the other hand, has the benefit of modern cameras, CGI, practical effects, and nearly half a century of experience in making Alien look and feel as good and terrifying as possible.
Aside from its production value, Romulus also has a lot going for it. The is filled with big names, like Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, and Isabela Merced. All those stars give fantastic performances that only make the scares of Romulus even more frightening. Romulus also fits perfectly into the larger Alien franchise, which makes it all the more worthwhile for longtime fans of the series.
Alien: Romulus Is The Best Way For New Fans To Jump Into The Franchise
One of the best parts of Alien: Romulus is the fact that it's the gift that keeps on giving, as it offers newcomers a way to dip their foot into the wider Alien franchise. The ideal way to get into the franchise would obviously be by watching the franchise in release order, as the original Alien is still a timeless masterpiece 47 years later. However, for as good as the original Alien and Aliens are, they aren't perfect introductions into what the franchise has become in the nearly half-century since they came out.
Since 1979, the Alien franchise has gotten a lot more complicated and bigger. Ridley Scott's prequel movies, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, added a lot of information that doesn't mesh well with the original films. The sequels, Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection, also took the franchise in somewhat strange and unappreciated directions that the originals didn't do much to set up.
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Alien: Romulus, however, has references to every single era of Alien, which makes it the perfect introduction to the franchise as it currently is. If you start with Romulus, you won't be blindsided by the major shift in tone of Prometheus or by things like the Newborn in Resurrection. Even Alien: Earth, which came out later, benefits from Romulus' exploration of synthetics and the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. By watching Romulus, you'll get an idea of what the entire Alien franchise is like.
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Explore how Alien: Romulus connects to the wider franchise—subscribe to the newsletter for clear breakdowns, viewing guides, and curated sci‑fi/horror recommendations that help fans decide where to jump in and what to watch next. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our and . You can unsubscribe anytime.
Having an easy introduction to a franchise that has as many entries as Alien is an underrated thing. There are, after all, , two non-canon Alien vs. Predator movies, an eight-episode series, and dozens of comics, books, and video games that make up the Alien franchise. It can be daunting to find a place to start, especially with how much Alien varies from title to title. Luckily, Alien: Romulus can open up one of the best sci-fi franchises in history to new viewers.
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