The screams in outer space continue within the next installment in the Alien franchise.
Return to Form
Alien: Romulus is out in theaters everywhere. Initially beginning as a Hulu exclusive during a time when theater going was a questionable experience, the Fede Álvarez-led feature refreshes the gruesome and frightening franchise back to its horrific roots, so much so that 20th Century Studios felt confident enough in the pitch to move the film from streaming to theaters. Early box office tracking for Romulus looks positive for the latest horror installment. Regardless if any more films are made, this film remains a great contained story within this universe.
A Tale Between Two Films
Alien: Romulus bridges between Alien & Aliens, taking place some 20 years after the events of the first film. While the narrative follows an inverted structure of people going onto a ship into a sea of horrors, that does not take away from the tension and suspense that builds up throughout. At one point, a few members must make their way through a hallway crawling with facehuggers, it is one of the most jittery sequences in the entire franchise, and that is the tip of the iceberg. The film is crawling with nods and homages to the first two films, as well as Ridley Scott’s prequel, Prometheus. Fans of the Xenomorph are likely to be very satisfied by the time credits roll. In short, Fede Álvarez understood the assignment and managed to squeak in some extra credit along the way.
Crew of Underdogs
The cast of Alien: Romulus features a group of derelict workers for the Weyland-Yutani corporation in a mining colony on the star of a planet. The two leads, Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny) & Andy (David Jonsson) hold a story that centers around these characters coupled with other miners itching to get off the rock before they lose their lives to awful living conditions and scandalous contracts by their overlord employers. Rounding out the cast are Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu. Each member fulfilled the role with absolute poise and sincerity, with David Jonsson’s Andy being a standout character in the constant shifting of performance from broken to focused in an instant. Eagle-eyed fans will recognize a few other tiny cameos and one supporting role is hard to miss.
Unnerving Petrifying and Downright Bone Chilling
The majority of Alien: Romulus features practical effects, and the payoff harkens back to a bygone era of filmmaking where practicality reigned supreme. From a sequence involving multiple facehuggers, grim nests for the Xenomorphs, and intense jumpscare moments involving dead bodies and creepie crawlies alike, Fede Álvarez is on the top of his spine-chilling game with his latest cinematic venture. If there is any critique at all, be it as minor as possible, the bare minimum use of CGI in regards to one character is noticeable, but one sleight does not outweigh the string of positives for this film. If any studios were taking notes during a viewing of this, I’d recommend jotting down the word “animatronics”.
Final Thoughts
This is a top-tier film in the franchise. From the pacing of the story, the performances, the terrifying imagery, and the surprises that homage to previous films, Alien: Romulus cements itself as a worthy entry into the Alien series. Fede Álvarez delivered on every level imaginable, and still left room for imagination. A true testament to what made the original Ridley Scott feature so effective by bringing it back to its horrifying roots, and turning the terrifying level up by a few notches.
9.5/10.
Alien: Romulus is now playing in theaters.