Director: Fede Alvarez
Writers: Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues
Stars: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux
Synopsis: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.
When a 45-year-old franchise gets a new chapter, there’s a bit of a, “here we go again,” mentality. The films in the Alien franchise are spread out enough that their takes on the perfect, homicidal xenomorphs can feel fresh. Yet, as the franchise has continued, the films have gotten farther away from the gobsmackingly brilliant first entry. They have sprawling casts, bigger, badder aliens and yet another piece of new mythology added to the dystopia of humans owned by corporations. That’s where Alien: Romulus takes a sharp turn, as it brings the franchise back to its minimalist roots.
The beauty in the grime of this retro-futurist vision is awe-inspiring. Like Blade Runner 2049, Alien: Romulus doesn’t evolve its technology by leaps and bounds, but keeps the ideas of what the future would look like from the late ’70s perspective. Production designer Naaman Marshall designed a world populated by tubes and wires, pipes and physical buttons. This gives the setting the feel that this film does actually take place in the same universe as the Nostromo and her ill fated crew. It’s wonderfully gritty and grim.
This is where the stunning visual effects compliment the physical environment. As much as it is so incredible to see those practical sets, there are alsoterrific things done with CGI. The opening scene is haunting, especially when supported by Benjamin Wallfisch’s tremendous score. It takes place in near silence letting the eerie choir build our tension as well as stun us with the audacity of what we see on screen. The light from a spaceship bouncing off floating debris and then an accurate laser cutting tool bisecting an unknown substance are jaw-dropping in execution. These effects coupled with an incredible sound design that ruptures silence with metallic groans, breaking glass, and alien screeches are a feast for the senses.
Thanks to the solid script by Fede Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues, these visual elements put the horror back in this franchise. There is plenty of dialogue to go around, but these films work best when everyone just shuts up and Alvarez and Sayagues deliver that tension. Seeing the thoughts come across these character’s faces is so much better than if they blabbed absolutely everything they were feeling or thinking. It’s a refreshing change from where the series was before this.
However, the plot within the script is weak. That’s what comes with 45 years worth of entries. After a moment or two, it’s very easy to see where the story is going. With the addition of a tacky and obvious cameo, it’s even easier to predict what will happen next. It hits the beats of an Alien film with little digression. Even the central relationship of the film seems far too familiar at times, but there is a hitch in this dynamic that makes it unique and compelling.
The characters, while archetypes, do feel different because of the unique nature of Rain (Cailee Spaeny) and Andy’s (David Jonsson) relationship. The franchise has a complicated dynamic between its heroine and the synthezoid, or artificial person as these artificially intelligent androids prefer to be called. Rain and Andy have an opposite relationship with the synthezoids as compared to Ripley (Sigourney Weaver, Alien, Aliens, Alien3, Alien Resurrection), Shaw (Noomi Rapace, Prometheus), or Daniels (Katherine Waterston, Alien: Covenant). Their synthezoids were knowing, condescending, and in control. Rain and Andy function as an older sister taking care of a younger brother as Andy is a machine repurposed from his original programming. It isn’t until the fundamental nature of Andy has to be changed that his being becomes more franchise recognizable. It’s in this emotional arc that the film’s script shines. These two are complicated and intriguing. It helps that Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson are actors who can really sell this aspect of the story and inject a little pathos into the carnage.
Alien: Romulus is a familiar, but refreshing and ultimately invigorating entry to the Alien franchise. It thrills with complex and beautiful visuals, chills with the horrifying xenomorphs, and amps up the themes of capitalist corporations being the downfall of humanity. Fede Alvarez brings his trapped in one place brand of horror to outer space and it works very well. They may not be able to hear you scream in space, but we can definitely hear you as you gasp in the theater.
