The Alien series can essentially be separated into two different categories (three if you count the Aliens vs Predator movies, which I do not). There’s the Ripley arc, comprised of Alien, Aliens, Alien3 and Alien Resurrection. Then there’s the prequels, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. The newest entry, Alien: Romulus, falls neatly into the first category, narratively and stylistically. It’s a new cast, with its own plot, yet the story clearly follows in the footsteps of the initial quadrilogy. There are references to Ripley’s adventures and franchise newcomer director/cowriter Fede Alvarez takes a lot of cues from what Ridley Scott, James Cameron and David Fincher did before him.
Much like 1 and 3, Romulus takes place in space, on a ship, with a few unfortunate souls forced to race against the clock, using their wits to survive a seemingly unstoppable enemy. It doesn’t seem like there would be a lot of angles that haven’t already been covered in this kind of thriller, but Alvarez has several clever tricks up his sleeve. He does some legitimately cool things with gravity and Xenomorph acid blood that I hadn’t seen before. The way he utilizes the location (narrow corridors, large open areas, the doors between them, etc.) is reminiscent of Scott, with its own flavor that brings real tension.
Alien: Romulus (112 minutes, without the end credits) doesn’t break new ground, yet it doesn’t have to. It’s a good throwback to the origins of Alien, that uses nostalgia without wallowing in it. While ambition can be welcome, sometimes going back to the classics feels oddly fresh. That is definitely the case here.
Rain is a young woman ready to go home after doing her duty for the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. When she learns that her mandatory service is being extended, Rain and her trusted android brother Andy are recruited for a risky mission to steal a decommissioned company ship and take it to a faraway planet. It’s not a spoiler to say the ship isn’t what they expected and has very dangerous passengers.
The Weyland-Yutani Corporation is the actual villain of the franchise. It embodies all the worst aspects of capitalistic greed, sacrificing human employees in the hopes it can somehow use the brutal Xenomorph, commonly referred to as “the perfect organism.” The premise shifts that concept a little because the characters are in this situation due to their own choices. Of course, the company caused their desperation and brings even more trouble once they’re on board. It is a necessary addition here as a crucial part of the lore and works as a handy connection to earlier stories.
Alvarez also includes visual references and even some direct quotes. Mostly they are enjoyable or unobtrusive, though the usage of a famous line from Aliens at one point felt very forced. The characters aren’t super memorable (there’s no Ellen Ripley here), but I did like Andy, who becomes an intriguingly different spin on the franchise’s ominous artificial intelligence. Alvarez is just a really capable horror filmmaker. He understands timing, is skilled at generating/maintaining tension and knows when to merely suggest something horrible and when to use gore. There are some pretty vicious kills that don’t feel like they are only there for their own sake. They add to the mounting despair of the remaining crewmates.
Alien: Romulus doesn’t reach the highs of Alien or Aliens. It does, however, give hope of a bright future for this universe by taking it back to where it started. It is a skillfully-made genre entry that loves its past and mixes familiar suspense with some new twists. As a fan (the only one I actively dislike is Resurrection), it gave me what I want out of the series. Will this lead to sequels? Maybe. For now, we should just be happy that they got this right.
3¾ out of 5
Cast: Cailee Spaeny as Rain
David Jonsson as Andy
Archie Renaux as Tyler
Isabela Merced as Kay
Spike Fearn as Bjorn
Aileen Wu as Navarro
Directed by Fede Alvarez
Written by Fede Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues
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