I hold a lot of love for the “Alien” series, specifically with the cosmic horror of Alien and the thrilling 80s action of Aliens. Besides that, the other movies don’t hold a candle to the quality of the first two films. The last film we got, Alien: Covenant, was a frustrating entry from Ridley Scott. If the “Alien” series had any hope for maintaining interest, Fede Alvarez needed Alien: Romulus to be a hit.
Related – “The Crow [2024]” Review: A Hollow Remake!
Using Alien, Aliens, and the game Alien: Isolation, Alvarez effectively made the series scary again. Dark, claustrophobic locations infested with the iconic extraterrestrial facehuggers and xenomorphs that have become a staple of the series; this is a strength this movie leverages. The characters are plunged into the deep-space nightmare I was hoping would get channeled since the original.
There’s great effects to complement this, and I strongly appreciate Alvarez’s commitment to practical effects when it can be best applied. The facehuggers and xenomorphs stalk around with such authenticity, all through some brilliantly constructed sets. The film also showcases some great sound work, and a very strong musical score. There’s a strong cast here, and I was really impressed with Cailee Spaeny and David Jonnson. The two had the strongest characters in the film, and their performances were on par with that.
The film knows to patiently and progressively build on its stakes, elevating the tension, blood, and terror along the way. Like I said, the classic facehuggers and xenomorphs were greatly utilized for this effect, but the third act is where Fede Alvarez hits a stride with some new, creepy sh*t.
I would only complain that, at times, this film gets a little too nostalgia driven. Some cheap dialogue is present, some slightly confusing tie ins appear, and a damning use of deep fake to bring Ian Holm back is incorporated. Things like this ever slightly hold thie movie back from propelling to excellence. Alien: Romulus is a worthy addition, and necessary revival, of the series that shows just how scary it would be to be trapped in space with H. R. Giger‘s enlivened abominations.
Follow Zach (the Author) on IG – @pretentiousfilmcritic
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