Alien: Romulus

Alien: Romulus has arrived, and with this being the first entry in the franchise since 2017’s Alien: Covenant, Fede Álvarez’s entry in the franchise had a tall task ahead of it. Not only did it need to live up to the expectations of fans of the Alien franchise, but it was somewhat tasked with redeeming that same franchise. Though 2012’s Prometheus was fairly well-received by critics and fans alike, the Alien franchise has been on a somewhat steady decline since reaching the heights of 1986’s Aliens. However, with the release of Alien: Romulus, I’m happy to say that the Alien franchise has managed to find its footing in the modern horror landscape, in a glorious return to form.

In this review, I’ll be talking all about Alien: Romulus, the highs and lows, and my hopes for the future of the Alien franchise. I will, however, be keeping the review spoiler-free (which is quite difficult to do with this movie), so that you can read through my thoughts before deciding whether or not you want to experience Alien: Romulus for yourself – but as you may be able to tell, I definitely recommend you do.

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The Review

Image by 20th Century Studios

Alien: Romulus is directed by Fede Álvarez, in his first outing with the Alien films, and only his fourth directorial role in a feature film to date. Even with what limited opportunities Álvarez has had to make his mark on the film industry, he’s managed to carve out a distinct style for which he’s become infamous – and that style runs through this film’s veins in bucketloads. For fans familiar with Álvarez’s work in his other films, such as 2013’s Evil Dead, and 2016’s Don’t Breathe, you’ll know that this style entails copious amounts of gore, no shortage of jumpscares, and an insane third act – all of which find themselves implemented into Alien: Romulus.

With that being said, I can confidently say that this may be the scariest Alien film to-date, and is certainly not for the faint of heart. As well as being slathered in that signature Álvarez style, the movie also fully embraces the underlying grossness present in the Alien films. Everything oozes and drips with extraterrestrial fluids, and the alien species our protagonists come across interact with the human body in nightmarish ways. Body horror is in full effect throughout the movie, realising the horrors of the original Alien movies from the 1980’s in a 21st century fashion.

The film is very well directed – every shot feels fully thought out, like Álvarez has left no corner of his world unthought of. This consciousness also flows through the film in how it connects to other entries in the Alien franchise. As has been revealed prior, this movie takes place between Alien and Aliens, and there are some nice nods to both films in here, as well as some concrete ties to those respective plots. Thankfully, Alien: Romulus is good enough that you can incorporate it into a binge-watch of both of the original two Alien movies, creating a horror trilogy for the ages.

Image by 20th Century Studios

The Alien franchise is no stranger to jumpscares, especially involving those cursed little facehuggers, and Alien: Romulus leans into the trope fully. There are several moments throughout the film to make even the most hardened horror fan jump a little, and I’m glad to say that most are deserved through the film’s excellent tension-building and atmosphere. However, I do have to fault the movie a little on one jumpscare in particular, which did feel unfortunately cheap. I won’t give away when it comes, but when you see it, you’ll know. It’s indie-horror game levels of cheap, screamer jumpscare, and was one of the movie’s low points, especially in such a unique sequence.

Speaking of unique sequences, Álvarez does a great job of working with all sorts of space-based elements to create a thrill ride like no other. Particularly in the late stages of the film, Alien: Romulus creates tension in fun new ways, beyond just creeping through dark corridors. The film takes on a trippy vibe, and you, as the viewer, truly feel engulfed in the void of space alongside our unfortunate cast. Without giving away anything, there are some really fun sequences in this movie that mix the horror elements of Alien with the all-out, full-throttle action of Aliens, all while keeping its own unique flare intact.

Speaking of our unfortunate cast, there are strong performances all round for the cast of Alien: Romulus. Cailee Spaeny as Rain delivers as an endearing, but headstrong lead, who you root for all the way. The rest of the cast all shine in their respective roles, with Spike Fearn, Archie Renaux, Aileen Wu, and Isabela Merced all committed to their characters, and fleshing them out to feel like more than just a horror movie trope. The star of the show for me, though, is David Jonsson as Andy, a character who I won’t say much on for the sake of avoiding spoilers, but just know – Jonsson’s performance is magnificent, and the character is easily the most interesting in the movie for me.

Image by 20th Century Studios

It’s not all good though – like any other film, Alien: Romulus has its faults, and unfortunately, one of these faults is particularly ugly. I’m hoping to avoid spoilers here, but for truly dedicated fans of the Alien franchise who may know what I’m alluding to here, maybe read ahead to the next paragraph. There’s a cameo in this film that, much to my sadness, was brought to life in the film through the use of AI. The cameo isn’t necessary for the plot, and easily could have been written in as a completely original character, and considering the actor behind the character, the cameo is tacky and in poor taste. A major red flag on Alien: Romulus’ track record, one which is especially frustrating given its lack of necessity in the grand scheme of things.

Another flaw is the film’s somewhat chaotic third act. While I can appreciate Álvarez’s commitment to doing something new and original with the franchise, the final stages of this movie feel just a little too detached from the rest of the film, and the whole thing is so over the top, it swerves dangerously into feeling like a parody of itself. Sure, anything can happen in Alien – and really, on the whole, this final act is far from the most absurd thing in the franchise. After all, it’s based on an extraterrestrial space monster. However, let’s just say that the movie’s final act takes a left turn from the rest of the movie – maybe it’s a left turn you’ll enjoy, but for me, it just left me feeling a little dazed and confused as I walked out of my screening.

Aside from these few flaws, Alien: Romulus was an absolute blast, one which I recommend you experience for yourself, whether you’re an Alien fan, a horror fan, or just a cinema-goer looking to have a blood-soaked, thrilling time. Álvarez has taken the franchise back to its roots, and course-corrected a film series that seemed to be drained of life in recent years. Alien: Romulus is a gore-filled, glorious return to form for this franchise, and I cannot praise it enough. Be sure to catch Alien: Romulus in theatres now, and let us know your thoughts on the film!

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