Confession: A long time ago Alien: Romulus, I don’t really like Fede Alvarez’s horror movies.
His reboot evil dead It was so brutal that I watched a coworker who loves scary movies run out of the cinema in disgust. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Like the original 2016 thriller, this one was dripping with blood and guts. Don’t breatheIt’s not just the brutal scenes that put me off, but rather the emphasis on the breathtaking bleakness of the atmosphere. He seems to enjoy watching his protagonists suffer, giving the audience little hope that they’ll find a way out. For me, that takes the fun out of horror.
This suffocating gloom is what fueled my distaste for Alvarez’s work. Frankly, I was horrified by his take on the Alien series, even though I’ve enjoyed the strange series’ blend of body horror and alien terror for decades. But I was wrong to doubt him. To Alvarez’s and producer Ridley Scott’s credit, Alvarez’s signature stomach-turning violence and deep, dark attitude are Alien: RomulusMoreover, his style fits the series’ unforgettable message that the real villains are not “perfect creatures” rampaging on far-flung spaceships, but inhuman corporations profiting from human suffering. It’s a critique of capitalism, That’s as true now as it was when Scott first took us aboard the Nostromo in 1979, when Alvarez found a fitting vessel to express his darkest side.
Ripley is nowhere to be seen in this strange prequel. alien 1986 Sequel alien. Fans of the series will appreciate the return of terrifying space creatures like the Facehugger, Chestburster, and Queen Xenomorph. These iconic extraterrestrials are joined by a vibrant ensemble cast that includes Cailee Spaeny, David Johnson, Archie Renaud, Isabella Merced, Eileen Wu, and Spike Fern. But even with all the new faces, new developments, and standout stars, the film suffers from a desperate fan-service frenzy at the climax.
Alien: Romulus Play like alien meet Don’t breathe.
Tyler and Rain bond over firepower.
Credit: 20th Century Studios
Alvarez and his writing and producing partner Rodo Sayagues love stories about a group of cocky, dangerously naive young friends who go on rash adventures like vacationing at a remote cabin in a spooky forest, creating content for influencers in a notorious ghost town, or breaking into the home of a reclusive military veteran and trying to survive by robbing him. Alien: Romulus The closest we get is this last of these examples. Don’t breathewhose setting involves a shady robbery.
Cailee Spaeny (civil warPriscilla) plays Rain, an indentured servant at the Weyland-Yutani space colony. Due to illness and an industrial accident, Rain and her artificial “brother” Andy ( industry and Rylane) orphans. So when her situation shipmate Tyler (Archie Renault) proposes a heist that will take her to a cool space colony (where the sun actually exists), she’s happy to take part, no matter the cost.
The plan is for Tyler, his pregnant sister Kay (Isabela Merced), his aggressive cousin Bjorn (Spike Fern), and Bjorn’s level-headed girlfriend Navarro (Irene Wu) to infiltrate an abandoned space station floating above the colony and steal the equipment they’ll need to fly the great outdoors, but because this is an alien movie, their plans are complicated when they encounter some otherworldly vermin.
Alvarez and Sayaguez’s attachment to impulsive (and criminal) youth works well within the sandbox that Ridley has created. Like Ripley’s crew, Rain’s is a ragtag bunch. They know how to operate this highly specialized space technology, but at heart they’re blue-collar people with simple ambitions and very human drives. They’re completely unprepared for the horrors that lurk in deep space. Alien: Romulus Like the best Alien movies, it focuses on characterization, making us identify with the characters so that their pain becomes our own.
For Spaeny, this means plenty of raised eyebrows and tough choices about loyalty and risk. For others, Andy’s involvement stirs up familiar franchise friction: Weyland-Yutani’s androids are notorious for betraying their human colleagues when it comes to the company’s profits. But Andy is nothing like growling Ash (Ian Holm), stoic Bishop (Lance Henriksen), wide-eyed Annaleigh Cole (Winona Ryder) or sparklingly odd David (Michael Fassbender). And that’s exciting.
Mashable Top Stories
David Johnson stole this movie.
David Johnson is phenomenal as Andy.
Credit: 20th Century Studios
Spaeny plays a Ridley-esque, headstrong heroine destined to fight back against a fearsome, over-the-top queen, but her character may be too much of an echo of Ripley, with her rage-torn, toned-down version. Andy, meanwhile, is an intriguing new take on the Alien AI. Programmed by her father, Andy’s instructions are to “do what’s best for Rain,” which includes telling lovably lame dad jokes, like, “Have you ever heard of the claustrophobic astronaut? He needs space. (Silly!)”
These jokes may be a little cringey, but they’re undeniably endearing. While the rest of the cast carries the anxiety and fear required for this tense series, Andy is refreshing because he experiences neither. This brings warmth to Alvarez’s film and creates a sharper contrast: a ray of hope in the darkness. Andy is essentially the well-meaning younger brother, and he shines bright like a diamond, exuding an innocence that’s all too rare on this series. Eventually, a plot twist complicates things, causing a glitch in Andy’s programming and allowing Johnson the space to show his range. Without giving away any spoilers, suffice it to say that he’s absolutely riveting throughout this journey.
I salute the entire ensemble for the raw emotions they evoke, from anger to hope to fear. Alien: Resurrection It should catapult Johnson to movie star status.
Alien: Romulus It’s both terrifying and brutally funny.
Isabella Merced creeps along as Kay.
Credit: 20th Century Studios
Literally, this movie made me dry vomit.
It’s not just that Alvarez leans heavily on H.R. Giger’s visual design — a nauseating mix of genitalia, copious mucus, and hard, shiny exoskeletons — but the film’s monsters are so sensationalized you can practically smell their musk. But what takes the horror here to the next level is the sound design, which is loud, enveloping, and so brutal that at times you can’t hear the dialogue.
Kudos to composer Benjamin Wallfisch for taking the Alien movies of yore with such fondness and care, crafting an orchestral soundscape that gives you goosebumps with its trills and stings, but Lee Gilmore and his sound team owe me a good night’s sleep after the hellish sounds they’ve created echo through my skull. You can get a glimpse of it in the teaser. The roar of the jet engines shook my seat and made me feel like I was a part of the mission, and the relentless alien screams sent shivers down my spine. The sound of fleshy footsteps crawling down the hallway still makes me sick, the sound of sour blood slicing through metal and flesh rings in my ears. Alien: Romulusyou will be hooked on it. Be prepared.
This immersive soundscape combined with the clever use of Xenomorph monsters Alien: Romulus It’s sensationally scary and well worth the price of admission, but unfortunately the filmmakers ruin this great build-up with a climax that descends into lame fan service.
Alien: Romulus There are so many callbacks that it ruins the ending.
I came here and saw that.
Credit: 20th Century Studios
If you Deadpool and Wolverine They put a lot of effort into fan service, yes, that’s true. Alien: Romulus This film doesn’t reach that level of pandering, but it does fall victim to the checklist that seems to be studio-mandated for sequels.
The first half of this prequel expertly blends Alvarez’s horror movie hallmarks with established Alien movie lore, weaving in Weyland-Yutani shockwaves, familiar tropes like androids, and of course, Xenomorphs. It’s all world-building. Romulus While walking its own path. Alien: Romulus As it hurtles towards its conclusion, the film starts to feel more like a clumsy clip show of franchise highlights than a fresh, thoughtful new adventure in this space (no one can hear you scream).
There are some familiar lines, some subtle, but some so forced that they draw big laughs from the audience. Some memorable scenes are recreated, such as when the human heroine comes face to face with the fierce alien queen. The plot of the previous film is repeated with little innovation. Romulus The final act is derailed by predictability — the character logic and action sequence are marred by a need to resemble, for better or worse, other Alien movies — so much so that the most polarizing aspect among fans of those films is the return of certain characters, who, while integral to the story, feel more like cheat codes than thoughtful integration.
As Rain hurtles towards her final moments on screen, the audience may be a little confused by her, for she is no longer blazing her own trail; she is doggedly following Ripley’s. We’ve seen it before, and it’s a great movie! But now it’s time for something new and as bold as the band of reckless idiots that won us over with this film. Alien: Romulus The film isn’t marred by a flimsy final scene, but some of the thrill is lost in a clutter of callbacks. Still, this is a film to see in the theater, loud enough to swallow you up like an alien maw.
Alien: Romulus It will be released in theaters on August 16th.
