Alien Romulus age rating explained: How scary is the new movie?

Alien: Romulus is a brand-new entry in the long-running horror franchise, but just how scary does it get? Here’s what the rating boards are saying.

The first Alien movie caused a sensation when it hit screens worldwide due to the terror director Ridley Scott managed to maintain throughout, not to mention the film’s famous chest-burster scene.

More than 40 years on, it’s still considered one of the scariest movies of all time, while making our list of both the best horror movies and best sci-fi movies ever.

The new film Alien: Romulus is set soon after the events of the first movie, so how does it compare in terms of scares? Here’s what we know.

What is the Alien Romulus age rating?

Alien: Romulus is rated R in the US, and 15 in the UK.

In America, the film has earned the R-rating for “bloody violent content and language.”

That’s in line with the original Alien’s R-rating, which was for sci-fi violence, gore, and language.

In the UK, the 15-certificate is due to “strong horror, gore, and language.”

That’s a step down from the first movie, which in 1979 was rated ‘X’ by the British Board of Film Classification. Here’s how the BBFC described that decision:

“Examiners found themselves weighing up whether to pass the film ‘AA’, which would have made the film available to those aged 14 and up, or ‘X’ for 18 years and over.  In the end, the film was passed ‘X’ in line with other horror films of the time such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers. 

However, some comparisons were drawn between Alien and Jaws and there was discussion as to whether younger viewers would be able to handle Alien or whether the level of fear generated and the dark tone was too much.”

Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, Alien Resurrection, Prometheus, and Alien Covenant were all rated R in the US.

While the first four Alien movies were X/18 in the UK, Prometheus and Covenant were certificated 15, which is consistent with the new movie.

Alien: Romulus is in cinemas from August 16, 2024. You can buy the new Alien popcorn bucket, head here for more new movies releasing this month, or check out the biggest box office hits of 2024. We’ve also got an Alien Romulus review and a guide to Xenomorphs.