Watching a movie tonight? Consider 'Alien: Covenant' on HBO Max.

In the prolific era of the Alien franchise, eight years ago saw the release of Alien: Covenant, a film that followed the much-seen but divisive prequel, Prometheus. Directed by Ridley Scott, this installment offers a fascinating and highly watchable combination of creature-feature violence and loftier sci-fi questions.

Alien: Covenant picks up some time after Prometheus ended, with a new ship of colonists diverted to another planet. The crew, led by Captain Oram (Billy Crudup), soon discover a series of mutated, hostile species and the surviving android David, played by Michael Fassbender.

The film is a bit dirtier and less elegant than Prometheus, and a bit more beholden to the whole Alien thing, without quite giving in to pure nostalgia. Alien: Covenant provides a satisfyingly weird and gory answer for older-school Alien fans struggling to picture what a movie or show without Sigourney Weaver could look like.

The movie's characters are as intriguing as the creatures they encounter. Among the crew, Daniels (Katherine Waterston) and the ship's android Walter (also Fassbender) stand out. The relationship between David and Walter, particularly, adds depth to the narrative.

One of the most memorable scenes in Alien: Covenant involves an alien and a couple in a shower, a sequence that's more flat-out slasher-movie than anything the franchise has done before or since. The movie half-spitefully continues the xenomorph origin story, revealing it as the result of David's relentless tinkering.

Alien: Covenant grossed $74 million in the U.S. and had a robust afterlife despite its mixed reception. It is currently available for legal streaming on Disney Plus and can be rented or purchased online via various platforms such as Amazon Video, Apple TV, Rakuten TV, Microsoft Store, maxdome Store, and Sky Store. It has also appeared on HBO Max as of 2025.

Interestingly, there is an Alien connection teased in the trailer for Predator: Badlands, hinting at a possible crossover in the future. Meanwhile, last year saw the release of Alien: Romulus, a theatrical hit that became one of the biggest entries in the series.

For fans of the Alien franchise, Alien: Covenant offers a compelling continuation of the saga, blending the classic horror elements with thought-provoking sci-fi themes. Noah Hawley, the prestige adapter for Alien: Earth, the franchise's first TV series, promises more exciting stories in the Alien universe.