Alien: Covenant (2017) is the sequel to Prometheus (2012) and the sixth installment in the Alien franchise. The film continues the story of humanity’s exploration of space, while also delving deeper into the origins of the Xenomorph creatures that have become iconic in science fiction horror. With its mix of deep existential questions, body horror, and the terrifying unknown, Alien: Covenant offers a thrilling but uneven experience.

The story begins with the Covenant, a colony ship carrying over 2,000 settlers and embryos to a remote planet. After a catastrophic incident that leaves the ship’s captain dead, the crew, led by Daniels (Katherine Waterston) and Oram (Billy Crudup), receives a mysterious transmission from an unknown planet that seems like a potentially more habitable location for their settlement. As they land on the planet, they quickly discover that it was once home to the Engineers (the ancient race introduced in Prometheus) and a dark secret lies hidden on the planet.

The crew encounters the synthetic David (Michael Fassbender), who was aboard the doomed Prometheus mission. As the crew begins to explore, they discover the horrors that have been unleashed by David’s experiments. What follows is a deadly series of encounters with terrifying alien creatures, including the Xenomorphs, leading to a battle for survival.