Alien: Romulus is the latest and seventh instalment in the Alien franchise to hit our screens. Directed by Fede Alvarez, the man behind Don’t Breathe and 2013’s Evil Dead, this film is set between the events of Alien and Aliens and is by far the best entry into the franchise since these two stellar originals.
The film opens on a space probe recovering a drifting object from the wreckage of the Nostromo, which is then taken back to a research facility where it is cut open, revealing the curled-up body of a xenomorph inside. Later on mining colony Jackson’s star, we meet Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny), an orphan who is trying to make ends meet while caring for her adopted brother Andy (David Jonsson), a malfunctioning android reprogrammed by Rain’s father.
After her work to leave the colony fails due to Weyland-Yutani company rule changes, Rain is contacted by her ex-boyfriend Tyler (Archie Renaux). Tyler has discovered a decommissioned spaceship in orbit around their planet, which he intends to salvage cryosleep pods from to allow him and his friends, Bjorn (Spike Fearn), Navarro (Aileen Wu) and sister Kay (Isabela Merced) to travel to a remote planet with better living conditions. However, he needs Andy, as a Weyland-Yutani android, to help them gain access to the ship without raising an alarm.
The group flies their mining hauler to the ship, which turns out to be a derelict space station divided into sections called Romulus and Remus. Tyler, Bjorn and Andy board the station and locate the stasis pods, but after discovering they’re lacking enough fuel, head to the ship’s cryosleep bay to scavenge more. In doing so, they inadvertently thaw frozen facehugger specimens, which proceed to attack them. As the rest of the crew head to help them, they come face to face with the station’s science officer and a creature more terrifying than they could ever imagine.
After seeing the trailer for this film I was hopefully optimistic, which is no small thing considering how much of a let-down some of the previous films have been. And Alien: Romulus does in no way disappoint, as Fede Alvarez seems to have pulled off the impossible, a film that is both a homage to the original two films and yet still original enough without seeming like a carbon copy. There are a lot of nods to the original films, from pulse rifles to references to Prometheus, and even an unexpected cameo from an original character (albeit with slightly questionable CGI). There are lines from the original films that for the most part fit in very well, although there is one very memorable line used in the final act that sadly misses the mark and comes across as a bit cringeworthy. It even follows the same tried and tested formula we’ve seen in so many of the other films.
It helps that Alvarez has tried to keep as many physical effects as possible in the film, and I was so happy about this as he’s succeeded in making the xenomorphs the most terrifying they’ve been in a long time. He’s also managed to do something I would never have expected, introducing us to a rather icky looking new lifecycle stage that was quite fascinating and creepy to watch. The whole film looks incredibly good and so in keeping with the original two films, from the set design of the station to the mining colony. It’s dark, atmospheric and for the most part the direction works well too with some incredible cinematography, although some of the shaky camera work did grate on me a little.
Cailee Spaeny is a great addition to the Alien franchise heroines, although Rain doesn’t quite live up to Ellen Ripley standards. I found Andy to be a fascinating and conflicting character, with a very engaging performance from David Jonsson. The rest of the cast were good, however it’s difficult to judge when their characters appear to be there purely as alien fodder, although I did find some of the characters a little irritating and very much playing up to a young and stupid stereotype.
Alien: Romulus is a welcome and refreshingly good entry into the franchise, really highlighting what makes a good Alien film when it’s in the hands of someone who truly appreciates the originals. It’s a tense, terrifying and brilliant sequel that is most certainly the third-best film in the franchise.
Where to Watch
7.5
A contract manager moonlighting as a rather discerning film and book critic, with an almost fangirl appreciation for anything made by Christopher Nolan. When I’m not catching up on my latest read or watch, you can usually find me trying out my amateur baking skills – Bake Off here I come!
