Loved ‘Alien: Earth’? Try these killer sci-fi horror series next
Loved ‘Alien: Earth’? Try these killer sci-fi horror series next
These picks blend monsters, conspiracies, and survival stories in ways ‘Alien: Earth’ fans will love.
“Alien: Earth” just closed out Season 1 on Tuesday, Sept. 23 on FX and Hulu, and the first season was a fun and terrifying ride. Between the corporate conspiracies, hybrid experiments, and straight-up nightmare fuel of the Xenomorphs, it’s the kind of show that leaves a void the second it’s over. So now the question is: what’s next? Whether you want more sci-fi horror, eerie mysteries, or just something that captures the same sense of dread and wonder, I’ve pulled together a few shows that should be right at the top of your list
Alien: Earth
When the mysterious deep space research vessel USCSS Maginot crash-lands on Earth, Wendy and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat.
Loved ‘Alien: Earth’? Watch: ‘Black Mirror’
What “Alien: Earth” and “Black Mirror” have in common is that feeling of dread when science and human ambition collide. Both shows explore what happens when technology or corporations push too far, though “Black Mirror“ swaps the xenomorphs for near-future nightmares. Each episode stands on its own, so instead of one big story arc, you get a fresh (and usually unsettling) take on how tech might backfire next.
I’ve always considered “Black Mirror” appointment viewing. I’m not even huge on horror, but this show hits that perfect mix of eerie, thought-provoking, and just scary enough to mess with your head. Over the years, it’s tackled everything from AI partners to warped reality TV, and it’s never not compelling. Compared to “Alien: Earth,” it’s less about survival horror and more about existential “what ifs,” but both shows leave you with that same uneasy chill… perfect for Halloween!
Black Mirror
Twisted tales run wild in this mind-bending anthology series that reveals humanity’s worst traits, greatest innovations and more.
Try out: ‘The Terror’
If “Alien: Earth” pulled you in with its mix of survival horror and creeping dread, “The Terror” delivers that same intensity in a totally different setting. Based on the doomed Franklin expedition, it follows two British ships trapped in the Arctic ice, slowly realizing the cold and isolation aren’t their only enemies. Like “Alien: Earth,” it’s about people facing the unknown in a hostile environment, where corporate or military pride pushes them into situations they can’t control.
What makes “The Terror” stand apart is its historical angle. Instead of futuristic hybrids and corporations, you get a period drama that blends real history with supernatural horror. The pacing is slower and moodier than “Alien: Earth,” but the atmosphere is just as thick… you can practically feel the ice closing in. It’s bleak, beautifully shot, and full of that same sinking feeling that survival might not be possible. And if you keep going, Season 2 (“The Terror: Infamy”) shifts to World War II, telling a story about Japanese American internment camps haunted by a mysterious spirit.
The Terror
A chilling anthology series featuring stories of people in terrifying situations inspired by true historical events.
Watch next: ‘Stranger Things’
When “Alien: Earth” had you hooked with its mix of horror and human drama, “Stranger Things” nailed that same sweet spot years earlier. This is how Netflix turned it into a cultural powerhouse by blending sci-fi scares with genuine heart and a heavy dose of ’80s nostalgia. The kids-versus-monsters setup feels different from the corporate experiments and hybrid nightmares in “Alien: Earth,” but both shows tie their horror to powerful institutions pushing science too far and the chaos that follows.
I’ve always loved how “Stranger Things” can be scary one second, funny the next, and still land an emotional gut punch. The Upside Down might not have Xenomorphs, but the sense of danger and the feeling that no one’s really safe gives it a similar edge. Where “Alien: Earth” leans darker and more adult, “Stranger Things” balances its horror with friendship, adventure, and those Spielberg-style coming-of-age beats that make it impossible to stop watching.
Stranger Things
When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces, and one strange little girl.
Throwback pick: ‘The X-Files’
For me, “The X-Files” was one of those shows that defined my childhood. Following FBI agents Mulder and Scully as they dig into paranormal mysteries, it blends sci-fi, horror, and government conspiracy in a way that felt groundbreaking back in the ’90s. While “Alien: Earth” throws you into a corporate-driven nightmare of hybrids and Xenomorphs, The X-Files takes a more case-of-the-week approach, showing how deep and strange the rabbit hole can go when you start asking the wrong questions.
What really makes it stick is that balance between skepticism and belief. Mulder is chasing the truth, Scully is trying to keep it grounded in science, and together they walk the same line “Alien: Earth” does between terrifying unknowns and the institutions desperate to control them. It’s moodier, slower, and way more episodic than “Alien: Earth,” but that “the truth is out there” feeling? It’s exactly the kind of paranoia and mystery that fans of the new series will recognize.
The X-Files
The exploits of FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully who investigate X-Files: marginalized, unsolved cases involving paranormal phenomena. Mulder believes in the existence of aliens and the paranormal while Scully, a skeptic, is assigned to make scientific analyses of Mulder’s discoveries that debunk Mulder’s work and thus return him to mainstream cases.
More to watch after finishing ‘Alien: Earth’:
‘Helix’ | Tubi
Helix
Helix is an intense thriller about a team of scientists from the Centers for Disease Control who travel to a high-tech research facility in the Arctic to investigate a possible disease outbreak, only to find themselves pulled into a terrifying life-and-death struggle that holds the key to mankind’s salvation…or total annihilation.
‘The Last of Us’ | HBO Max
The Last of Us
Twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed, Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the United States and depend on each other for survival.
‘Andor’ | Disney+
Andor
In an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue, Cassian Andor will discover the difference he can make in the struggle against the tyrannical Galactic Empire. He embarks on a path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero.
‘From’ | MGM+
FROM
Unravel the mystery of a nightmarish town in middle America that traps all those who enter. As the unwilling residents fight to keep a sense of normalcy and search for a way out, they must also survive the threats of the surrounding forest – including the terrifying creatures that come out when the sun goes down.