In a barren blockbuster year where many large franchises are regrouping in hibernation, Alien: Romulus arrives as a rollercoaster of a film at its relatively brisk 119-minute runtime. Following the same narrative format as Alien and others in the series, it’s far from a reinvention of the wheel. Still, it may be the best iteration since the original and is certainly one of the best blockbusters to come out this year.
Since David Fincher’s disastrous Aliens 3 in 1992, people have lusted for a quality new instalment to the franchise that remained connected to the first two movies. Neill Blomkamp came close, but that fell through because of production and canon difficulties. In 2024, salvation for the fandom arrives in the form of Alien: Romulus, the conceptual brainchild of Uruguayan director Fede Alvarez.
The Kids are far from alright
On the director’s cut of Aliens, there’s a scene on the mining colony Hadley’s Hope where a group of kids are seen playing around on the station. This nugget was the inception of Alien: Romulus for writer and director Fede Alvarez, imagining what kinds of adults these children would grow into. About 20 years after Ripley survives the events of the Nostromo, and before her arrival on the outpost in the sequel, these kids have grown up, the planet being everything they’ve ever known. Rain (Cailee Spaeny) is trying to get herself and her synthetic android brother Andy (David Jonsson) assigned to a better station on a different planet, but quotas 0f worked hours are doubled, damning her to another 5 years on the barren moon LV-426.
As an orphan, Rain’s friends function as her surrogate family. Ex-boyfriend Tyler (Archie Reneux) remains a close friend, he lives with his sister, a secretly-pregnant Kay (Isabela Merced), their cousin Bjorn (Spike Fearn), and his adoptive sister, Navarro (Aileen Wu) who pilots their dingy spaceship the Corbelan. The crew discover the abandoned ship Rennaissance, a decommissioned two-module ship floating aimlessly outside the planet’s orbit, the upper module is Romulus, Remus the lower. Determined to change their fortunes after a lifetime on the barren moon, they plan to head up to the ship and loot its cryostasis fuel to make the long journey to a safer planet themselves.
Xeno-phobia
Naturally, as soon as they dock to the Renaissance things… take a turn. It’s clear from the damage to the ship and what’s left of the crew that something terrible befell the occupants of the Renaissance. They soon discover the cryo-lab infested with an as-yet never-before-seen alien creature – you know, the ones that hug your face – and realise that not only are they not alone on the ship, but are being actively hunted.
Alien: Romulus takes the formula established by Alien (a group of people arrive on a ship, someone’s face gets a hug, chaos ensues), and eschews the mystery and sci-fi to focus instead on the horror and suspense. From the facehuggers and xenomorphs to the queen, Alvarez knows how to make these creatures feel truly terrifying, finding new ways of cinematically expressing the xenomorphs’ violence, tapping heavily into the anxiety of not knowing when the next creature will appear.
This is also helped by the fact that the characters, while far from being memorable scene-stealers, are written to make logical and rational decisions that align with their personalities and goals, which makes the xenomorphs’ various adaptations to their plans all the more terrifying. The only complaint is that Romulus isn’t above the odd jumpscare to keep the score ticking, to minimal effect.
Alvarez’s decision to focus on practical effects makes Alien: Romulus‘s world feel real and tangible, from the sets to the costumes and weapons, and especially the xenomorphs. We struggled not to flinch at some of the xenomorph shots in the movie. The props are some of the best of any recent Hollywood blockbuster, Rain’s spacesuit and especially her pulse rifle look like they’re made of metal instead of plastic like many Hollywood props (looking at you, Marvel).
Same ship, different bay
The general consensus among people who have already seen Alien: Romulus is that it does nothing new, which, while true, isn’t the whole story. Alien: Romulus manages to do a few things to make itself a slightly different viewing experience. The youth of the characters injects the film with a sort of optimism that gives it a different emotional weight from other instalments and seems appropriate for a franchise aiming to reset itself for a new audience.
Also, the end of the film features an addition to the Alien canon that is, in our opinion, pretty damn awesome and had us literally on the edge of our seats because of its implications. Outside of that though, Alien: Romulus is a fun homage to previous Alien movies and at its worst feels like a visual run-through of the greatest hits.
Alien: Romulus verdict
One of the better encapsulations of Alien: Romulus as a movie is that the first half is a suspenseful slow burner like Alien, the second half a more action-packed slasher fest, akin to Aliens. Fede Alvarez successfully captures the essence of the franchise, delivering a film that, while not groundbreaking, feels like a love letter to fans of the original two films. For longtime fans, Alien: Romulus offers nostalgia, and for newcomers, an accessible entry point into the franchise. The practical effects, solid performances, and relentless pacing make it one of the better blockbusters of the year, even if it doesn’t break a ton of new ground.
Alien: Romulus begins its theatrical release today, Friday 16 August.