Review: Fede Alvarez’s “Alien: Romulus” is a really scary sci-fi horror
by Alex Billington
16 August 2024
“Run!!” There’s a new alien movie in town. It’s time to round everyone up and head back to the movies to have some fun and see something dark and scary. Alien: Romulus is the seventh film of the sci-fi horror Foreigner Franchise, after the original four Foreigner films and the two Ridley Scott prequels from 2012 and 2017. There were also two other Alien vs Predator Movies, but we don’t really talk about that (save that conversation for another time). FirstAd was in its heyday during the publications of Prometheus And Alien: Covenantand one thing I remember when they both came out – most people are extremely critical of Foreigner Movies. Yes, it is an undeniable fact that Foreigner And Aliens are two of the best science fiction films of all time. Alvarez’s new creation draws on both, literally taking place between the two films and referencing both in obvious and exciting ways. I’m happy to say I enjoyed it Alien: Romulus quite a lot. Similar to Dan Trachtenberg’s preyit is a really entertaining, really scary, extremely atmospheric one-off Foreigner Film.
Because both Foreigner And Aliens are so highly valued, everyone has their own standards and expectations when it comes to others Foreigner Movies after these two. We can debate, argue and discuss them all for hours, which is one of the good things about this franchise. Alien: Romulus steps away from the rather grandiose “Who made us?” philosophy of Ridley Scott’s two sequels and instead goes straight back to Ridley Scott’s original 1979 classic. It is set primarily on a spaceship – well, technically a small spaceship and also on an abandoned space station that is empty because, as you already know, some Xenomorphs escaped and killed everyone. An important aspect of the Foreigner franchise is that most of the main characters are incredibly stupid and make mistake after mistake that leads to their downfall. This is a feature, not a bug, that goes back to the first Foreigner when Ripley (and maybe Ash) was the only one in the crew who could outwit the creature. This is particularly evident in Romulusas the group of teenagers (they’re not even a crew this time) are some of the dumbest in this sci-fi franchise. However, as horror fans have already noted, this is Fede Alvarez’s homage to 80’s summer camp slashers where a bunch of dumb teenagers get slashed.
This time, like the original, there are two characters who might be smart enough to get out – another android and a human being. Cailee Spaeny Stars like Rain and David Jonsson (from the wonderful Rye Trail) plays Andy, her robot friend. Technically he is not her brother, but she treats him like her brother. He is a completely new kind of android, different from the Ash or David or Walter or Call models we have seen so far. He is my favorite character in the whole film, his innocence is adorable and Jonsson’s performance is phenomenal. As with any Foreigner film, it takes a while to figure out what kind of android he is (good? evil? suspicious? helpful?), but once he settles in, it’s a near-perfect performance as an android that deserves all the love he’s getting so far. Much like Michael Fassbender’s David/Walter, the android stands out once again and is involved in a number of the film’s more nuanced ethical and moral decisions. There’s also another surprise character that everyone is talking about, but rather than give that away now, we can discuss it later. His appearance never bothered me, although there are a few flaws, I think his importance to the story (in the grand scheme of the film) Foreigner Sci-Fi universe) is more interesting than all other reviews.
But above all, the look and feel of this thing is stunning. Not only does it have spectacular sci-fi elements, including the ice rings of a mining planet that play a major role in the story, but the distinctly realistic feel makes it all the more believable. The mix of massive, practical sets and VFX filler works beautifully. Alvarez successfully evokes the gritty, analogue, “old-fashioned” tech roots of the Alien series, with clunky computers and flashing lights galore. The sets and sounds and Xenomorphs and world-building and atmosphere are all top-notch. While I have some issues with the general structure of the story and the way it unfolds, it’s hard to fault how Alien: Romulus looks and feels and sounds. I want to go back and visit that world. Right now. Maybe I don’t want to live on this planet or in this space station, but as a science fiction freak, I was thrilled by the whole science fiction atmosphere of this film. That’s what makes it all worth it. Compared to Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s steam-filled Alien: Rebirththe set design and the camera work in Romulus is so much better, sometimes reminds me of Blade Runner more than Foreigner.
I have to be careful Alien: Romulus a few more times to get a better feel for where I would place it in the series, but my first feeling is that I actually like it a bit better than the two Prometheus And Alien: Covenant. I like this movie better as a simple story about people on a space station trying to escape the Xenomorphs. The third act is pure nightmare stuff, which is a cliche these days, but it really deserves that label. It’s a bit silly, I rolled my eyes at first, but eventually I was gripping my armrests and holding my breath. Romulus is genuinely scary in places, which isn’t easy to pull off these days… It’s also consistently entertaining and engaging. And the franchise’s philosophy and thoughtful ideas are still there, regarding immoral androids and evil corporations and humanity’s existence in space. I don’t care that it doesn’t do “something new” as I’ve heard some critics complain. Alvarez isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, he just wants to take us on a xenomorph rollercoaster ride again. He gets to let his gory slasher horror side flourish, while his love for the original films shines through as well. Of course, not everyone will agree, but I’m happy to say Romulus is great. I can’t wait to watch it again late at night to see if it’s as good the second time around.
Alex’s rating: 8.5 out of 10
Follow Alex on Twitter – @showfirst / Or Letterboxd – @firstshowing
 |
