Paying homage to the original, director Fede Álvarez's Alien Romulus is pure nightmare fuel as he delivers a blood-chilling spectacle fans are going to love.
Alien Romulus Review
45 years ago Ridley Scott introduced us to the idea that in space no one can hear you scream in his claustrophobic, sci-fi thriller defining film– Alien. “A haunted house movie in space” according to Scott that spawned a sequel, “Aliens,” that saw James Cameron take the helm to create a large-scale, brutal slasher in typical 80s blockbuster fashion. Since then the franchise has spawned sequels and spin-offs and even saw Scott return, taking a different approach to the conflict. Since then fans have wanted a return to what captured their attention and made us all afraid of being stranded in space: a horrifying, grotesque creature hellbent on murdering everyone in its path.
Even with some of the films not connecting with their audiences, each one (not including the Alien vs. Predator spinoffs) have tried to bring something new to the table while also enhancing the mythos established in 1979. After the savagery of the 2013 Evil Dead remake and the almost unbearable tension of 2016's Don't Breathe, Fede Álvarez's resume speaks for itself. He was the perfect choice when it came to choosing who should direct Romulus. Taking place between Alien and Aliens, Romulus serves as a standalone film that plays well in the sandbox. It is a heart-pounding, visceral horror that returns the franchise to its roots, paying homage to the original film and its direct sequel. If Scott's claustrophobia thriller and Cameron's carnage slasher had a baby, Romulus would be it.
Somewhere in space on a sun-less mining colony, Rain (Cailee Spaeny) is working tirelessly to get herself and her synthetic brother Andy (David Jonsson) off this planet to one where they can live free. Just when she thought she had reached her required hours, Weyland-Yutani screwed her over. Desperate, she and Andy join up with her ex-boyfriend Tyler (Archie Renaux) and his crew in order to escape. But their plan requires them to salvage cryopods from a nearby decommissioned space station. On board, they quickly discover why this place is abandoned and find themselves in a fight for their lives against alien lifeforms. In this, the film returns the franchise to its most basic roots– a fight for survival in space.
From beginning to the end Álvarez, who co-write the script along with Rodo Sayagues, invokes the nostalgia of Alien both in terms of style and story. Romulus' opening sequence feels like it could have been pulled from Scott's original film, as it picks up right where the first film ended. The Nostromo's wreckage is investigated by some clueless humans who pull in a fossilized rock onto their space station. What happens next is a mystery but it is clear that something went horribly wrong and that's how it ended up floating above Rain's planet. From there, Álvarez takes his time, allowing the tension to slowly build that by the time facehuggers appear you feel ready to scream in terror yourself.
Yes there are throwbacks and easter eggs peppered throughout but they never are presented in a way that seems disingenuous. (Although a certain character addition may prove to be divisive.) But perhaps the best callback of them all is the way Álvarez approached the effects for the film. The practical effects are insanely good which makes them pure nightmare fuel. Swarms of facehuggers skitter about, launching themselves at the terrified group, and making this reviewer jump more than once. They have always reminded me of extraterrestrial spiders and my skin is crawling all over again. Then there are the Xenomorphs who are just as scary as I remember from my childhood. Knowing that those things were built and are “real” adds to the extreme dread I felt whenever they were on screen.
This old-school approach to the scares heightens the blood-chilling horror that permeates from the screen. Álvarez also takes creative swings with the Xenomorphs' attacks and defenses, each paying off more than the last. Galo Olivares' cinematography balances out the commitment to a retro aesthetic with a truly modern day immersive experience. I screened it in IMAX and it is definitely the way to go if you want to feel like you're also trapped on a space station, fighting to survive. Benjamin Wallfisch's score works in tandem to keep you going on the rollercoaster of action, sometimes dropping out entirely where the only sounds are Rain's (and your own) heavy breathing.
At first glance, Rain might feel like a younger take on Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley, but she quickly enough stands on her own. Spaeny gives Rain a likability and inherent resiliency that makes you want to root for her to make it as the final girl. If there is a beating heart of the film it is Rain's relationship with Andy. Jonsson and Spaeny work well together and their characters' bond is strong right from the start. Jonsson does an amazing job switching up Andy's personality as his programming gets some reworks throughout the film. Renaux is also likable as Tyler, who thankfully isn't a one-dimensional jerk of an ex. The rest of the crew are mostly there to be fodder for the aliens (one of which you might actively root for his demise).
Verdict
Listen, Alien Romulus scared the sh*t out of me, just like Alien did when my parents thought it would be fun to show their young child a movie they liked from the 70s. Romulus gets back to basics, delivering memorable gore, heart-pounding terror, and a body-horror scene that is disgustingly good. Plus with multiple Xenomorphs and an army of facehuggers, what's not to love? The final act sees Álvarez jumping out of the sandbox to forge a new and unforgettable path that could lead to something else equally scary in the future. Although Romulus may not pack the emotional heft of previous entries, thanks to its blood-chilling spectacle, it's got what the fans want and that's all that matters.
Alien Romulus releases in theaters August 16. It is rated R for bloody violent content and language with a runtime of 1 hour 59 minutes.
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