Alien: Romulus – A Wild Ride Into Xenomorph Hell (Early Review)

It has been seven years since the release of Alien: Covenant, the second prequel in the Alien series and the follow-up to Prometheus. In those films, director Ridley Scott toyed with some interesting ideas in regards to the lore, particularly how the Xenomorphs came into being, and asking some even more interesting questions in the process. It is unfortunate, then, that Covenant did not get a follow-up to wrap up those loose ends, what with the purchase of Fox by Disney as well during this time, ultimately leaving the franchise in a state of limbo, until now. In that time, the Alien franchise went through several different failed starts of ideas, with even a fifth movie taking place after the events of Alien: Resurrection and bringing back Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley discussed at one point to be directed by Neill Blomkamp.

Enter Alien: Romulus, which opens this Friday, helmed by Don’t Breathe director Fede Álvarez, and following in the footsteps of a similar franchise resuscitation, that being the Hulu/Disney+ hit Prey, the prequel to the Predator films. Taking place between the events of the 1979 original and its sequel Aliens, the plot here is pretty simple: Rain (Spaeny), who along with a crew of space colonizers and her brother Andy (Jonsson), break into a rundown and decommissioned space station in orbit above them, which is very close to being completely out of business as it is on a crash course towards the rings of a planet. As the crew make their way through the ruins, they eventually encounter a species that’s beyond them and can kill them in incredibly violent and disturbing ways, and for those who know their Alien movies, they can probably figure out what comes next.

Romulus releases 45 years after the release of the first Alien, a film that was originally set up as somewhat of a B-movie answer to Star Wars’ popularity in 1977 and ended up becoming one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time, spawning a series of sequels since, with one of them, James Cameron’s Aliens even surpassing the first film in some ways. The first two may share the honor of being among the greatest movies of all time, but the installments that followed, from David Fincher’s Alien 3 to Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Alien: Resurrection and Scott’s two prequels, were not quite as well received. In an attempt to resuscitate the franchise, Romulus goes back to basics with the formula, crafting a tense horror thriller that begins slow and builds to an intense final act that blows the hinges off the door. It is why on paper, bringing on the man who did an excellent job making a successful claustrophobic thriller like Don’t Breathe is perfect. The result? In some instances, the best film in the franchise since 1986.

With Alien: Romulus, Álvarez takes the idea of “Don’t Breathe in space” and runs with it, with several action sequences built around the use of sound and intense shadows, as Rain and her compatriots try to make it through the ship and get out of the story alive. The blaringly loud sound design is noticeable from the start, set to an incredible score from Benjamin Wallfisch. Once the film goes into full throttle and the crew start to encounter everything from Facehuggers to Xenomorphs, Álvarez keeps up the tension expertly with some truly breathless moments, anchored by Galo Olivares’ gorgeous cinematography and lensing of the events unfolding. There’s a nostalgic feeling to how the film looks, with a subtle use of grain in the image throughout, and evokes that sense of the original’s aesthetics. This is coupled by an emphasis on practical effects and sets throughout. While there is CGI used, prominently in some cases, the animatronic work with the different alien organisms is spellbinding, and adds a sense of realism to the threat the human characters face.

As Rain, Spaeny is terrific, continuing her impeccable run as an actress and bringing her talents to another level here. When the going gets tough for her, she channels moments that echo Ripley’s efforts in Aliens, toting a rifle around while looking for Xenomorphs to shoot down. The real star of the show, however, turns out to be Jonsson as Andy, who gives an incredibly powerful performance, often expressing himself without words and merely staying still. The sibling connection between Rain and Andy makes for a strong framework, and the most compelling aspect of the human characters, as they both work with each other to try and find a way out. The film, however, stumbles with its other human characters, often keeping most of their characteristics to either a few lines of exposition or just a quick moment of them doing something by themselves. As such, there isn’t much connection formed with them, and making it a bit tough to rally behind them when blood starts being spilled. The exception to this is Kay, played by an incredibly resilient Isabela Merced, who like Rain and Andy, ends up being right in the middle of some of the film’s most insane sequences and put through some serious ringers in the process.

Where Romulus also stumbles, at times, is in its deeper meanings. The first two films ask and evoke questions that make up its more thematically richer backbone, with Aliens even often acting as a response to the Vietnam War and PTSD, and Prometheus asking about how humans came to be and bringing up existential feelings to its proceedings, and whether or not all their efforts even matter. That thematic backbone is missing with Romulus, and it leads to a slightly lighter film in the process. At times, it instead plays more like a “Greatest Hits” version of the franchise, incorporating many of the series’ trademarks in terms of visuals, action and dialogue to keep things afloat. This is no mere fan service vehicle, however. Álvarez knows this is familiar ground, but uses those tools for the story to progress, building on those legacies. It’s nostalgic for the series in a manner that respects it and honors it.

As Romulus approaches its final minutes, it makes decisions that will no doubt be discussed by many audiences. It’s the kind of big swing that will make many heads spin, and might even be polarizing. In this moment, Álvarez switches into something truly bonkers, and the results are to be seen to be believed. It also makes Alien: Romulus ultimately a very rewarding watch, and one of the best entries in the franchise. It may lack some of the depth of the first two and even Prometheus–and to a degree, even some of Covenant–but it makes up for that with being one hell of a ride into Xenomorph hell.

still courtesy of 20th Century Studios

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

Shaurya Chawla