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Species II

Species II

Mating season begins...

199893 minRMidcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
Director
Peter Medak
Starring
Natasha Henstridge, Michael Madsen, Marg Helgenberger, Mykelti Williamson

Having just returned from a mission to Mars, Commander Ross isn't exactly himself. He's slowly becoming a terrifying alien entity with one goal -- to procreate with human women! When countless women suffer gruesome deaths after bearing half-alien offspring, scientist Laura Baker and hired assassin Press Lennox use Eve, a more tempered alien clone, to find Ross and his brood. Before long Eve escapes to mate with Ross.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Species II?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Species II streaming on MGM+ via Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Species II?

Species II earns 7 badges, led by Overhyped and Seriously scary.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Species II worth watching?

Species II's Midcredits score is the 6th percentile of all films, from 55K ratings across 6 sources. 14% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

6th percentile

Better received than 6% of films

12th percentile among Action6th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)13th
Approval (how many liked it)3rd

48 /100

13th percentile of all films

22nd percentile among Action12th percentile among 1990s

Critics 19 · Audience 50

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

The crowd leans negative, with most ratings sitting in the bottom half of the scale.

14% liked it

3rd percentile of all films

6th percentile among Action2nd percentile among 1990s
14% rated it 7–1086% rated it 1–6

Critics 9% · Audience 18%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 2 noms overall

92nd percentile

55K ratings across platforms

85th percentile among Action88th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 37% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$25M
Opening weekend$7.3M
Domestic gross$19M
Worldwide gross$19M

Returned 0.8× its budget — 67th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A trashy, gory, and overtly sexual B-movie sequel that amplifies every element of the original without adding intelligence or restraint.

Fans praised

  • goopy practical creature effects and gore set-pieces
  • more nudity and sex than the original, pure exploitation fun
  • Michael Madsen's laconic cool and returning cast chemistry

Detractors panned

  • atrocious script with gaping plot holes and dumb logic
  • offensive racial stereotyping of black astronaut character
  • excessive mean-spirited gore and sleazy sexual violence

What stands out

Effects and spectacleDivisive55

practical gore and creature work impressive; CGI laughably dated and cheap

PacingDivisive40

never boring, brisk but rushed; alternating sluggish exposition and frenetic gore

ActingDivisive35

returning cast (Madsen, Helgenberger, Henstridge) effortful but wasted; Lazard wooden; Williamson a hammy stereotype

Atmosphere25

no tension or dread, feels like a cheap TV movie with bright gore

Characters15

thin one-note roles, cliché senator and fat general, Eve a passive damsel in a cage

Originality15

tired retread of the original's DNA, shameless Alien ripoff

Plot and story12

incoherent Mars infection premise, galaxy-sized plot holes, no narrative logic

Dialogue10

howlingly stupid lines, unintentionally hilarious one-liners

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users 3 points apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Species II like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want to be scared.

It is intense and leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadTenseThrilling
Heaviest: late
Register
Campy · 4% of filmsBrutal · 7% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneSpecies II embraces its trashy B-movie roots, delivering over-the-top gore and sex with a winking, campy attitude.
The rideThe film sustains a tense and dreadful mood, with bursts of thrilling action, and the heaviest stretch is the climactic confrontation and disturbing ending.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically, alternating between the hunter team and the infected astronaut's rampage.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

FunUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a trashy, entertaining impression with its over-the-top violence and gore, but also a lingering unease from the body horror.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterInvasion
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% (this title) · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Invasion: An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeAn alien infection from Mars turns astronaut Patrick into a monster who must procreate, and a team must stop him before his hybrid offspring overrun humanity.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% (this title) · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

SurvivalIdentity · 14% of filmsViolence · 4% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film focuses on humanity's fight for survival against an alien threat, while also exploring Patrick's lost humanity and the graphic violence that ensues.
StanceThe film warns about the dangers of unchecked alien contamination and human ambition in space exploration, with Press and Laura as dual leads.

The world

Near futureInstitutionalSuburbanRuralScience fiction
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Edward Shearmur
Settinga near-future America after a Mars mission
MusicThe score blends orchestral and electronic elements to heighten the sci-fi horror atmosphere.

Content guide

Is Species II okay for kids?

R

Species II is rated R: “Rated R for strong sexuality, sci-fi violence/gore and language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (90/100), sexual content at intense (72/100), language at moderate (59/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (39/100) and frightening material at severe (91/100). Overall it is heavier than 87% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 9 other countries
  • UK18
  • AustraliaMA15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland18
  • Brazil14
  • Netherlands16
  • Spain12
  • Sweden15
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 92% of all filmsHeavier than 87% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 84%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 90%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 36%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 45%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 95%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material, violence, and sexual content. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Species II have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Species II?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Natasha Henstridge
as Eve
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Michael Madsen
as Press
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Marg Helgenberger
as Laura
Mykelti Williamson
as Gamble
Justin Lazard
as Patrick
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
James Cromwell
as Senator Ross
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
George Dzundza
as Colonel Burgess
Sarah Wynter
as Melissa
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Myriam Cyr
as Anne Sampas
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Baxter Harris
as Dr. Orinsky

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Species II?

Movies like Species II include Species (1995), Virus (1999) and The Incredible Melting Man (1977). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films written by Dennis Feldman, and several are body horror films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

10 of these 12 share its subject: survival. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Species II?

658 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: body horror. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.