ALIEN: ROMULUS Review

Life hasn't always been kind to the Alien franchise, with fans subjected to their fair share of questionable outings. Ridley Scott's most recent attempt at adding to the Xenomorph lore proved no different, with his Prometheus prequels failing to deliver the same level of gore or peril, focusing more on psychological thrills. Now that the franchise is under the Walt Disney umbrella, following their acquisition of 20th Century Fox, there is hope that new life can be given to these once terrifying creatures, with the various trailers and promo clips for Alien: Romulus generating hype.

Set between the events of Alien and Aliens, the plot follows Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny) and a group of young space colonists as they scavenge a derelict space station. What our plucky opportunists find within proves to be more than they bargained for, coming face to face with one of the deadliest creatures in the universe. This all leads to a blood-quenching fight for survival, with our scavengers having to band together and use all their wits and resources to overcome this terrifying Xenomorph. 

The franchise has seen its fair share of talented directors over the years, with Ridley Scott, James Cameron, and David Fincher (just to name a few) all leaving their fingerprints on the series. The latest to take the helm is Fede Álvarez, with the visionary behind 2013’s Evil Dead remake and Don’t Breathe bringing the series back to its horror-driven roots. Capturing the claustrophobic feel that made the 1979 classic so gripping, Álvarez and co-writer Rodo Sayagues deliver a narrative that, despite its imperfections, manages to captivate at every turn. In doing so the director manages to deliver a product that takes inspiration from its predecessors, whilst standing tall on its own, being the breath of fresh air that the franchise has so desperately needed.

Álvarez does an amazing job of setting the tone of this movie, utilising the first act to establish our band of scavengers and identify their goals in life. In doing so the director not only allows the film to breathe but adds a sense of desperation to proceedings, highlighting the poor conditions our young group has been subjected to. Talking of our band of renegades, they ultimately prove to be a very mixed bag, with it being easy to root against certain characters. The only real expectation from this was that if these rotten crew members were going to meet a perilous fate, make sure that it was epic and gory.

As for the cast itself, each member brings something unique to the party. Whether it's the brash, gung-ho nature of Spike Fearn as Bjorn or the level-headedness that Archie Renaux brings as Tyler, the result is a dynamic atmosphere. The star of the show, however, is Cailee Spaeny, with the young actress giving a breathtaking performance as Rain Carradine. Between the character’s close relationship with Andy (David Jonsson) and the bold way she handles gnarly situations, the actress goes above and beyond to convey emotion. The overall character depth and development would also shine throughout, with Rain going from a quiet girl, looking to improve her life, to a badass heroine that won’t hesitate to fight a Xenomorph.

Over the years we’ve seen the franchise grow from a pre-visual effects era to the wonderful benefits of CGI. Now when it comes to most blockbuster movies nowadays, there is the tendency to go overboard with visual effects. Alien: Romulus, for the most part, avoids this trap, opting to deliver a hybrid of CGI and practical effects. This results in a blissfully grounded project, with the suspense and horror prospering from this visual composition. Despite this, there was one particular use of CGI that simply didn’t work, with the desired effect proving both horrifying (for all the wrong reasons) and drastically unrealistic.

One of the more interesting characters throughout this flick is Andy (David Jonsson), with the android quickly proving to be a very complex entity. Being introduced as somewhat of a brother to Rain, the android evolves into a truly captivating character, with his cold, calculating temperament being rather chilling. The way that Jonsson brings this artificial intelligence to life is a wonder to behold. Whether it’s his confused reaction to the discriminating mindset of certain crewmates or the dedication with which he follows directives, the actor conveys tremendous emotion, reminding us of the importance androids have had to this franchise.

Now as much as Prometheus would try and prove differently, you can’t have an Alien movie without the terrifying Xenomorphs present. Along with their Facehugger intermediaries, these acid-blooded foes prove as deadly as ever in Alien: Romulus, giving our young team a bone-chilling experience. Having the Xenomorph stalk their prey in the pitch black, Álvarez takes these predatorial creatures back to basics, proving once again that less is more. This all leads to some satisfyingly horrific moments, that live up to the series’ legacy. Despite all this, there was a major twist near the end of the film that proved very questionable, with the director clearly trying to deliver a visually creepy conclusion at the expense of practicality.

Verdict

Alien: Romulus brings the franchise back to its horror roots, with director Fede Álvarez delivering a terrifying experience for the characters within. Proving very much that less is more, the film harkens back to its predecessors, whilst standing tall on its own, expanding on the lore along the way. The claustrophobic playground in which our Xenomorph roams also proves bone-chilling, and despite its flaws, the film generally proves to be an amazing addition to the franchise.

7/10