ALIEN ROMULUS - A FRANCHISE BACK IN ITS ROOTS

The "Alien" franchise, first pioneered by Ridley Scott's groundbreaking sci-fi horror "Alien" (1979), is one that has seen numerous identity issues and struggles to recapture a magic it once held. Scott's cautionary, almost nihilistic tale of class division and government incompetence wrapped in a horror/slasher genre was met with both critical and commercial success in its release, grossing over $100 million USD from a $9-11 million budget. Since then, the franchise has been helmed by some of the most influential directors in modern cinema, from James Cameron's sequel to Scott's original masterpiece "Aliens" (1986) and even David Fincher's directorial debut with "Alien 3" (1993).

However, following Alien 3's mixed critical and financial reception, the franchise struggled to find the same success of the first two Alien films with its next releases, such as the fourth and final installment to the Ellen Ripley quadrilogy "Alien: Resurrection" (1997), which many fans consider to be the worst in the franchise to this day. Pair that with two questionably poor "Alien vs Predator" crossovers, and many fans began to believe that the Alien franchise had simply lost its spark. Even Scott's long-anticipated return to the world of Alien with his two prequel films "Prometheus" (2012) and "Alien: Covenant" (2017) failed to rejuvenate the same passion audiences once held for his original release, After several years of bitter disappointment at the cancellation of Scott's third and final installment to his prequel trilogy, its safe to say that the announcement of an originally "straight to Hulu" Alien film was met with skepticism by fans worldwide. So, on that note, does "Alien: Romulus" (2024) successfully deliver its massive expectations, or is it just another link in a 30-year-old chain of disappointments?

THE STORY

Alien Romulus is directed by franchise newcomer Fede Álvarez, previously having directed the critically-successful "Evil Dead" remake (2013), and delivers an original cast of characters to both root for and against. Taking place between the events of Alien and Aliens, the film follows Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny) and her loyal "brother"/companion Andy (David Jonsson), a malfunctioning android repurposed by Rain's late father. The two live on the "Jackson" colony, a mining world void of any sunlight, clean atmosphere or happiness in general. Rain years to return back to her homeworld of "Yvaga", described as a beautiful planet of lush greenery and gorgeous sunsets, but finds herself continuously stuck in her current home as the Weyland-Yutani corporation forcefully extends her work contract. With no other options, Rain accepts an offer from her ex-boyfriend Tyler (Archie Renaux) to join him and his group as they plan an escape from their planet-prison.

Joining them is Tyler's pregnant sister Kay (Isabela Merced), his android-hating cousin Bjorn (Spike Fearn) and Bjorn's adopted sister Navarro (Aileen Wu), who each developed part of a meticulous plan to escape Jackson using an abandoned Weyland-Yutani research station floating above the planet's atmosphere. The catch? The "Romulus" station is home to the dead Xenomorph from Alien, as well as an army of manic "facehuggers". It isn't long before Rain and her crew cause the hatching of a brand-new Xenomorph, quickly spiraling into overall chaos as they start getting picked off one-by-one in a twisted homage to Scott's original space slasher.

THE HORROR

What would a good horror film be without some heart-racing jumpscares and moments that make your skin crawl like never before? Thankfully, Alien: Romulus has an abundance, elevated by the film's use of spectacular practical effects mixed with (mostly) stunning CGI. Whether it be a tense chase sequence with an army of facehuggers, the Xenomorph's eerie cat-and-mouse hunt or the third act's grotesque human-Xenomorph offspring, Alien: Romulus keeps you on your toes throughout the whole runtime.

The film's unsettling feel is greatly heightened by the intricate set design of the Romulus craft, as well as the mix of sharp sound design and editing that rounds up the film in a perfect bundle of scares. Sound designers, Editors and set designers continue to remain unsung heroes!

THE PERFORMANCES

Each character in Alien: Romulus feels real and developed, whether that be through their writing or the stellar performances that each member of the film's crew delivers. Cailee Spaeny proves once again that she deserves her title as Hollywood's rising star, and plays a gripping performance as the film's "final girl", while Isabela Merced truly deserves credit for her ability to produce some of the most haunting screams ever put to film. However, if there was only one performance I could choose that sold me on the film as a whole, there wouldn't be any debate in choosing David Jonsson's performance as Andy.

Until Alien: Romulus, Jonsson was a relatively unknown name in Hollywood, only notable for his role in the film "Rye Lane" (2023). Yet, his incredible performance in Alien: Romulus immediately sells you on his acting capability, as he seamlessly plays two versions of the same character with such tenacity and skill that he easily ended up becoming my favorite character in the entire movie. His performance as Rain's loveable, dad-joke-adoring companion is just as captivating as his cold and stoic demeanor after receiving an upgraded chip, fully rounding him out as one of the best characters in the Alien saga's history.

THE THIRD ACT

If you were to time travel to the past and tell fans of the original films that a 2024 Alien movie would provide the most terrifying creature of the franchise to date, they would've likely laughed in your face. How could something dethrone the Xenomorph, a perfect organism with the capability of killing an entire crew by itself? The answer is through the Offspring (Robert Bobroczki), the film's third act monster and hideous amalgamation of a human child, a xenomorph and the black goo from Prometheus and Covenant. Played by a 7'7 Romanian basketball player, the Offspring shows that the Alien franchise is still alive and beating when it comes to creativity, and makes you wonder how Álvarez managed to get this past the executives at Disney in the first place.

Much like the film is an unapologetic homage to Scott's Alien, the Offspring almost seems like a subversion of the motherhood theme from Cameron's sequel, twisting a beautiful connection between two lost human beings to a ghastly, uncomfortable yearn for connection between the Offspring and Kay.

TOO MANY HOMAGES?

While Alien: Romulus provides many details and Easter eggs for hardcore fans of the saga to enjoy, many have begun debating whether or not the film leans too much in being a safe, repetitive addition to the franchise. This is mainly due to the addition of Rook, using facial and vocal references from the late Ian Holm. Holm originally played the character of Ash in Alien, celebrated for delivering one of the franchise's most quoted lines even years later: "I won't lie to you about your chances, but you have my sympathies". Although he plays a completely new android in the film, Rook, he still has a significant stake in the plot and makes several references to his role in Alien.

Many fans argue that the use of CGI revival is an inherently unethical practice, finding itself more and more common in recent blockbusters such as "Furiosa" (2024), "The Flash" (2023) and "Rogue One" (2016). Others argue that since Holm's family agreed on his role in the film, then there's no problem. Personally, I would have much rather preferred to see Rook take on the appearance of either David (Michael Fassbender), Bishop (Lance Henriksen) or even a new face completely rather than stirring the film in controversy for a few references to Scott's original film. The choice only slightly hinders my opinion of the film, but fortunately isn't enough to take away from the other accomplishments that Alien: Romulus performs.

VERDICT

Alien: Romulus has its issues, but is overall a successful return to form in a franchise that has struggled to solidify its identity over the years. With recent rumors of a potential sequel, or even a collaborative film with the director of Prey (2022), Dan Trachtenberg, I know that I'll be eagerly awaiting whatever Álvarez for the Alien Franchise

9.5/10