10 Best Jump Scares From 2024’s Biggest Horror Movies

It's no secret the once-unstoppable Alien franchise hasn't been great in a while. With that said, Fede Alvarez's Alien: Romulus came the closest to recapturing the true spirit of the sci-fi saga. Rather than expanding on whatever Prometheus and Alien: Covenant were about, this installment goes back to basics, relying on practical effects, atmosphere, and fleshed-out characters.

Despite the fact there are plenty of facehuggers, chestbursters, and Xenomorphs, Romulus' most heart-thumping moment doesn't include any extra-terrestrials whatsoever. 

Hoping to override a lockdown, Rain attempts to retrieve a chip from a damaged android. While she's busy doing that, her friend messes around with an X-ray device, momentarily distracting Rain. Since she's not paying attention, Rain is unprepared when the supposedly deactivated robot grabs her arm, giving her the fright of her life.

Since the characters narrowly escaped from a horde of facehuggers a minute earlier, it felt like this scene would serve as a brief respite. With no creepy-crawlies or acid-spitting aliens in sight, audiences let their guard down, which is why it's likely they had a mini-heart attack when the android sprung to life.