Alien Romulus Review: A Refreshing and Thrilling Return to the Franchise’s Cosmic Horror Roots
Callbacks and Easter Eggs abound while adding to the mythos and lore of the Alien Universe
The Alien series is known to reinvent itself with every new entry, attempting to explain the origins of the Xenomorph and how each film ties together. At times it can feel a little too familiar, taking away some of the horror of the creature and creating an action movie rather than a thoughtful sci-fi story, or making the Alien a product of mankind rather than a distant cosmic foe. With Alien Romulus, the latest entry in the story, we return back to the quiet, thought provoking terror of a mysterious creature and a corporate entity trying desperately(and failing) to contain and exploit it. While some callbacks may overstay their welcome, it neatly ties in elements from past entries to add a sense of mystery and an injection of cosmic horror, refreshing the series in a thrilling return to form.
Set between the events of the first two films, Alien Romulus follows Rain (played by Cailee Spaeny) and Andy, her synthetic brother (played by David Jonsson) as they struggle to meet their quota for freedom on a distant mining planet. Desperate to escape after their quota was increased without warning, they accept an offer made to them by their friend Tyler and his crew. They need Andy’s synthetic abilities to steal technology from a derelict spaceship orbiting the skies above them which will allow them to escape to a distant star and leave the mining planet behind. When they arrive, they soon discover that the spaceship is a science vessel, studying the remains of a Xenomorph found in the wreckage of the Nostromo, the ship from the first movie. Due to a series of events, the science vessel will soon crash into the rings around the planet, and they need to return back to their spaceship with the technology they sought before time runs out. They need to do this while avoiding reawakened Facehuggers, the deadly Xenomorph and other dangers lurking around every corner of the science vessel Romulus.
Director Fede Alvarez is best known for intense horror films Don’t Breathe and Evil Dead, and he brings much of that same energy to this new movie. He uses sound design to build tension and create scary new scenarios for the characters. Much like the original Alien, the Xenomorph stays relatively offscreen for the first half of the film, making the creature scary,but I couldn’t help but feel like we should see more of it throughout the film. Thanks to the incredible work of WETA, many of the creatures were brought to life by practical effects rather than CGI. This helps make it feel real and terrifying when the creature pops out of the darkness and attacks. Design elements harken back to the original artwork by H.G. Giger, with dark and disgusting imagery mixed with tentacles, skeletal structures and slimy skins to make the creatures feel mysterious and more horrifying than they have in recent entries.
Many elements of past films in the series are well represented here. Certain concepts presented in Prometheus, Covenant, and even unused elements in the original Alien movie are utilized here to help retcon some inconsistencies with the story. We get more information about the life cycle of the xenomorph that fills in some gaps in how we go from the Facehugger to the Xenomorph soldier, all while explaining how the alien is able to propagate even after its demise. It is also explained in greater detail why the Weyland-Yutani Corporation is trying so desperately to get their hands on the Xenomorph. All of these elements, while tying up loose ends in previous films, feels self contained and fresh in Alien Romulus.
Cailee Spaeny does a good job filling the shoes of Sigourney Weaver as the leading actress, while her castmates do well for the audience to care about their fates. The first standout is David Jonnson as synthetic Andy. He shifts brilliantly from a barely functioning older brother to a cold and intelligent force in a snap, all while making us care about his fate. The other standout is a surprise cameo. The CGI deaging and the practical effect of the actor both toes the line of uncanny valley to purposefully looking inhuman. Great care was taken to creating their role, and they play a very significant part throughout the film. However, there were times where I felt the role should have been reduced or even given to another actor, as it at times took us out of the movie and reflected too much on previous entries.
Alien Romulus takes the elements that worked from previous entries in the franchise and effortlessly weaves them into its overall story. From Prometheus, Covenant, and Alien: Resurrection, there are many callbacks that make better sense in this setting, and it all brings it all back to its cosmic horrors roots. Fede Alvarez has breathed new life into a stumbling series, and I am excited to see how the franchise evolves from this point forward.
Pros
Terrifying setting
Practical effects
Callbacks retcon story elements for the better
Cosmic horror elements return
Cons
Overly long cameo
Slow burn creature introduction
Final Score: 8 out of 10