Why Alien: Romulus Is Rated R: A Parent's Guide To The Sci-Fi Horror Movie

Set between the events of the original "Alien" and its sequel "Aliens," "Alien: Romulus" seems almost certain to be another terrifying, grisly romp through space. The seventh film in the storied sci-fi/horror franchise, "Alien: Romulus" has earned an "R" rating from the Motion Picture Association for "bloody violent content and language."

"Alien: Romulus" receiving an "R" rating isn't exactly surprising; the series, which kicked off in 1979, has always been intended for mature audiences. Every mainline "Alien" film has been rated "R," usually for "bloody violent content," "gore," and "language," among other things. "Romulus" is notably a bit tamer than the franchise's last entry, "Alien: Covenant," which also featured some sexuality and nudity. 

Still, seeing as this is the "Alien" franchise, it's fair to say that the devious xenomorphs and their facehugger counterparts will be causing tons of mayhem on the Corbelan IV, the ship in the new flick. Based on previous "Alien" films, audiences can expect our roster of characters to be eaten, torn apart, and disfigured by the otherworldly creatures. As for language, one can assume that our heroes will be swearing left and right as they try and evade the relentless aliens. 

Fans of the franchise will no doubt be pleased that "Alien: Romulus" is receiving an "R" rating: it's hard to imagine a film in the 45-year-old franchise going out without that classification. When audiences show up for "Alien" films, they expect to see lots of humans slowly get picked off by the monsters, and it seems like "Romulus" will live up to that promise.  

Plot details for "Romulus" are pretty much in line with previous "Alien" flicks: there's a group of folks on a spaceship who are being terrorized by the aliens. In the case of the new film, the latest trailer makes seem that facehuggers are even scarier than full-grown xenomorphs this time out. 

Parents interested in taking their children to "Alien: Romulus" should definitely investigate the film's promotional material and consider if the movie looks appropriate for their kids. Of course, the trailer won't present a complete picture, so parents might want to consider rewatching "Alien" or "Aliens" first and see if those films are suitable for their children. "Alien" is available to stream on Hulu, while Max subscribers can watch "Aliens." If either of the films pass the content/scary test, then your child will probably be fine with "Alien: Romulus," which hits theatres on August 16.