New sci-fi hit streams next week, 45 years after landmark original

There aren't many sci-fi franchises with longer histories than Alien, with the truly iconic original movie coming out 45 years ago as of 2025. Few series are still alive and kicking after that length of time, but the latest Alien film came out just a few months ago.

Alien: Romulus is a return to the series' roots in many ways, and if you've been waiting to stream it on one of the best streaming services out there, you're about to be in luck. It's hitting Disney+ here in the UK on 15 January, in just a few days' time.

Alien: Romulus | Official Trailer - YouTube

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That means that, with a Disney+ subscription of any description, you'll be able to settle in for a truly scary movie night – and those are often the most memorable types! Romulus introduces us to a new cast of characters chafing under horrendous indentured contracts on a mining facility owned by Weyland-Yutani.

That's the same corporation that has tried to capture and control the Xenomorph across so many Alien films, and things prove just as murky this time around, too. Our main character is Rain (Cailee Spaeny), who gets roped into a scheme to get off the mining encampment, stealing supplies from a drifting ship along the way. That ship, surprise surprise, turns out to have a Xenomorph chilling in it.

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From there you can expect scenes of dripping tension as her new crew encounters face-huggers, the alien's acid spit and more through a series of terrifying moments. Without spoiling anything, there are some pretty spectacular deaths and even some new monstrous enemies to take in.

The movie's best element, though, is Rain's "brother", a simple robot called Andy (David Jonsson). His loyalty comes into question when new orders are downloaded to his operating system, and the tension between helping Rain and completing his new objectives adds a fun twist.

I watched Romulus just a few weeks ago and enjoyed it wholeheartedly – with a few reservations that I won't share to avoid creating hangups before you see the movie. It's visually astonishing in places, though, and brings these vicious aliens to life like never before. Add it to your watchlist from 15 January to enjoy it yourself!