Top 20 Movies That Ripped Off the ‘Alien’ & ‘Predator’ Franchises

After the success of movies like ‘Alien’ and ‘Predator’, many low-budget filmmakers tried to copy their formulas. They created their own versions with similar stories and monsters. This list features twenty of those movies – from quick Italian productions to American B-movies that simply changed the setting (like swapping spaceships for submarines). For each film, we’ll explain the basic plot, who made it, and how it borrows from ‘Alien’ and ‘Predator’. You can use this to see how these ideas were repeated throughout the 80s, 90s, and even in the era of cheap imitations.

‘Alien 2: On Earth’ (1980)

This Italian film, an unofficial follow-up to ‘Alien,’ follows a caving expedition that discovers strange blue crystals releasing alien spores. Director Ciro Ippolito released it in Italy soon after ‘Alien’ became popular, hoping to capitalize on its success. The movie shifts the danger from a spaceship to underground caves, but keeps the core elements of infection and being hunted. It’s now remembered as a prime example of how quickly Italian filmmakers would create their own versions of American blockbusters.

‘Contamination’ (1980)

Luigi Cozzi’s film involves dangerous alien eggs, shipped to Earth and filled with a deadly substance, that hatch and spread a threat. The story follows investigators as they travel from New York to South America trying to prevent a full-scale invasion. While the film borrows visual ideas from ‘Alien,’ particularly with the eggs and their life cycle, it focuses on a conspiracy happening on Earth, which helped keep production costs down. The film’s memorable score by Goblin and its use of striking visual effects made it a standout among early ‘Alien’ copycats.

‘Inseminoid’ (1981)

This British film, directed by Norman J. Warren, follows a research team stranded on a distant planet. Things take a terrifying turn when one of the female crew members becomes pregnant by an alien, and the pregnancy progresses at an alarming rate, turning their base into a tense and confining fight for survival. The filmmakers used quarry locations and narrow hallways to convincingly portray the cramped conditions inside a spaceship. The film’s themes of pregnancy and disturbing body horror are heavily inspired by ‘Alien’.

‘Galaxy of Terror’ (1981)

This film, produced by Roger Corman and directed by Bruce D. Clark, features a rescue team sent to a planet where their deepest fears become real, taking the form of dangerous creatures. Early in their careers, notable filmmakers like James Cameron contributed to the film’s sets and special effects. The movie’s plot centers around a crew systematically hunted in shadowy corridors and strange, mechanical environments. The creature-based action and team interactions are heavily inspired by the film ‘Alien’.

‘Forbidden World’ (1982)

Allan Holzman’s film, produced like many others by Roger Corman, features a genetically created creature that grows and begins hunting scientists at a remote research station. The movie cleverly reused sets from ‘Galaxy of Terror’ and relied heavily on realistic special effects, including prosthetics and gore. The story explores the dangers of scientific arrogance and focuses on a team trapped in a base under attack. The ending showcases resourceful, last-ditch efforts to survive, reminiscent of classic monster battles in space.

‘Xtro’ (1982)

I recently discovered this incredibly strange British film by Harry Bromley Davenport, and I’m still thinking about it! It starts with a man being snatched by aliens, but when he comes back, things get really weird. It’s like the return sparks off this crazy cycle of rebirth all over Earth. The movie definitely takes cues from ‘Alien’ – lots of creepy parasites, cocoon-like structures, and people changing rapidly. It’s cleverly shot, using London apartments and the countryside to create this sense of alien invasion without needing a huge budget. Apparently, it was popular enough to launch a few sequels, all revolving around secret military labs, which is fascinating!

‘Creature’ (1985)

William Malone’s film, ‘Titan Find,’ is a sci-fi thriller where a team of corporate employees battles a dangerous alien parasite on Saturn’s moon, Titan. The movie features competing companies, rundown facilities, and a creature that controls people like puppets. It’s visually inspired by gritty, industrial futures and highlights the danger of ignoring clear warnings. Adding to the intrigue and corporate conflict is Klaus Kinski, who plays a competing survivor.

‘Star Crystal’ (1986)

This low-budget American sci-fi film centers on a spaceship crew who unwittingly bring a dangerous alien creature on board. Most of the movie takes place in the ship’s tight corridors and control rooms as the crew members are systematically hunted. While the special effects aren’t extravagant, the film clearly draws inspiration from ‘Alien,’ featuring similar elements like motion trackers, ventilation systems, and attempts to contain the creature. The story revolves around miscommunication with the alien, which ultimately leads to a violent outcome.

‘Alien Predator’ (1987)

Directed by Deran Sarafian and also known as ‘The Falling’, this movie follows a group of friends who travel to a Spanish town after a mysterious crash. The crash unleashes a dangerous creature, and the situation is further complicated by military secrets and a cover story about a meteor shower. The creature hunts its victims in the countryside, similar to the premise of ‘Predator’, and the film blends elements of a road trip adventure with the tension of a small-town sci-fi thriller.

‘Robowar’ (1988)

Bruno Mattei’s action film follows a special forces team as they’re hunted by a technologically advanced robotic predator during a rescue operation. The movie borrows heavily from the ‘one by one elimination’ trope, and often shows the action through the hunter’s infrared vision. Reb Brown commands the team as they navigate dangerous traps and communicate with the realistic, clipped dialogue typical of special forces units. The source of the relentless pursuit remains a mystery until a climactic battle unfolds in dense jungle foliage.

‘Shocking Dark’ (1989)

Though released in Italy as ‘Terminator II,’ this film by director Andrea Mattei is much more influenced by ‘Aliens.’ It features a team of marines investigating flooded tunnels beneath Venice, where they encounter slimy monsters and argue amongst themselves. The story includes a corporate cover-up and a VIP they’re tasked with protecting – elements commonly found in action movies. This film is a good example of how the team-based military structure popularized by ‘Aliens’ became a common trope in low-budget European filmmaking.

‘DeepStar Six’ (1989)

Sean S. Cunningham’s underwater thriller traps a team at a deep-sea base, inadvertently disturbing a creature from prehistoric times. The story closely follows the ‘trapped in a base’ formula seen in films like ‘Alien’ – a sealed environment, failing systems, and a shrinking crew – but moves the action from space to the ocean floor, with divers’ suits standing in for spacesuits. The limited options for escape and constant equipment malfunctions create a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere.

‘Leviathan’ (1989)

Okay, so this one, directed by George P. Cosmatos, is set on this deep-sea mining station, and things go south fast. Basically, some kind of genetic stuff gets loose and starts mutating the crew. It’s got that classic setup – a big corporation giving orders, a salvage mission gone wrong involving an abandoned ship, and this creature that can change shape, which is always creepy. What really got to me was how the crew starts turning on each other – that feeling of being stranded and realizing no one’s coming to save you. And the whole underwater thing? It just cranks up the isolation to eleven, you know? It feels like a space movie, but underwater.

‘The Terror Within’ (1989)

Thierry Notz’s story takes place after a disaster, following a group of survivors hiding in an underground lab. They’re being hunted by a dangerous mutant creature called a Gargoyle, which reproduces quickly and relentlessly pursues them. With limited supplies, the survivors navigate the lab’s claustrophobic hallways, air vents, and sealed doors, creating a similarly suspenseful atmosphere to the movie ‘Alien’. The film was made using Roger Corman’s low-budget approach, emphasizing practical effects and simple sets.

‘The Intruder Within’ (1981)

This TV movie takes place on an oil rig at sea, where a drilling accident unleashes a dangerous parasite. The crew finds themselves fighting for survival against a rapidly growing creature that hunts them through the rig’s narrow corridors and metal walkways. The film shares similarities with ‘Alien,’ featuring a remote, industrial location and the use of whatever tools the crew can find as weapons. While made for television, limiting special effects possibilities, the core story of being trapped with a deadly threat remains strong.

‘Parasite’ (1982)

Charles Band’s film portrays a future plagued by engineered parasites that infest people in a desert town. The story follows a scientist desperately trying to remove the parasite from his own body before it’s too late. The film shares similarities with ‘Alien,’ featuring themes of people trapped in cocoons, attacks focused on the chest, and a lab-created origin. A young Demi Moore appearing in the movie helped it gain popularity through home video releases.

‘Xtro 2: The Second Encounter’ (1991)

The story shifts to a high-security research base where an experiment with dimensions unleashes a dangerous alien creature. The facility is immediately locked down, and soldiers and scientists begin a tense hunt through the metal hallways. The film borrows heavily from the suspenseful team dynamics and use of motion trackers seen in ‘Aliens’, and features familiar elements like strict safety procedures and the use of flamethrowers.

‘Dark Universe’ (1993)

Fred Olen Ray’s movie centers around a spaceship crashing in Florida, unleashing an alien creature into the Everglades. A team searches for it, navigating the swamps while the monster attacks from the surrounding vegetation. The film feels similar to ‘Predator,’ creating a tense hunt within a jungle-like setting, but swaps the jungle for a swamp. It also uses common survival movie tropes like dark nighttime scenes and broken radio communication.

‘Proteus’ (1995)

This suspenseful thriller takes place on a secluded island oil rig where drug smugglers and unwanted guests find themselves trapped with a terrifying, genetically engineered shapeshifter. The creature hunts its victims through the rig’s complex industrial spaces, absorbing their characteristics to mimic them. The story creates a claustrophobic, ‘Alien’-like atmosphere of isolation and distrust, and explores themes of black market science and ruthless corporate ambition, hallmarks of classic monster movies.

‘DNA’ (1997)

William Mesa’s film, also called ‘Mutation,’ follows a scientist and a tracker as they venture into the jungle to stop a dangerous alien brought back to life. This creature hunts using heat vision and surprise attacks, targeting both soldiers and local people. The movie features visual effects similar to ‘Predator,’ including infrared vision, mud camouflage, and culminates in a final showdown between the hero and the alien. Mark Dacascos and Jürgen Prochnow star as the humans leading the chase.

‘AVH: Alien vs. Hunter’ (2007)

This low-budget film mimics the style of ‘Alien vs. Predator,’ featuring a creature similar to the xenomorph battling an armored hunter in typical American neighborhoods. Ordinary people find themselves in danger as these two aliens fight each other. It’s a clear imitation, created during a time when smaller studios quickly produced films similar to big-budget releases to attract fans.

We want to know which lesser-known game you think best recreates the atmosphere of a creepy setting, like haunted hallways or a dangerous jungle. Share your suggestions in the comments below!

2025-11-12 13:18