Film Review: Alien: Romulus
Film
Alien: Romulus
Director: Fede Álvarez
Scott Free Productions and Brandywine Productions
In Theaters 08.16
It’s been 45 years since the phrase “In space, no one can hear you scream” first entered the public consciousness with the release of Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror classic Alien in 1979. A relatively simple and straightforward premise led to an exciting and terrifying film that was so influential, it spawned three sequels, two prequels, multiple spin offs and more ripoffs that can be counted. The fact that we have another entry in the franchise coming out with Alien: Romulus is nice for fans, but in and of itself isn’t that big a deal. The fact that it’s easily the best one we’ve seen since 1986, however, is something worth screaming about again.
Set between the first and second films in the series–also known as “the good ones”–Alien: Romulus follows Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny, Priscilla, Civil War), a miner working for the Weyland-Yutani corporation, forced to work as an indentured servant in the oppressive Jackson Star Mining Colony, a place devoid of daylight, and of any tangible or intangible forms of hope, though thankfully, her times is nearly an end, and she can finally leave. Rain is completely alone in the universe, save for adopted “brother” Andy (David Jonsson, Rye Lane), a damaged synthetic humanoid built by Weyland-Yutani, rescued from a garbage bin and programmed by her father to watch after keep company, and even to tell her Dad jokes. When she is abruptly told that she must work an additional 12,000 hours, or five more years to earn a travel permit, she and Andy join Tyler (Archie Renaux, Morbius, The Other Zoey), Rain’s former boyfriend, along with his best friend Bjorn (Spike Fearn, Tell Me Everything), Bjorn’s girlfriend Kay (Isabela Merced, Dora and The Lost City), and expert pilot Navarro (Aileen Wu, Skin) in a desperate mission. Their goal: reach a decommissioned ship that has mysteriously appeared above the colony, restart it, and secure the cryopods onboard. If they succeed, they can set a course for civilization, climb in the cryopods before heading out and take a 9 cryo nap until they reach their new life far away from the colony. When they get aboard the ship, everything starts to go wrong, and they soon learn that the vessel wasn’t decommissioned: everyone on board has been killed, and there is something lurking in the shadows.
Director Fede Álvarez (Don’t Breathe) returns the franchise to its roots, expertly creating a claustrophobic and deeply unsettling atmosphere of white knuckle suspense. The story is simple enough, in many ways simply recycling and connecting much of what has been seen before, but it does so lovingly and with a fresh sense of creativity and enthusiasm that has been long absent. The visual elements of the film are superb, from stunning shot composition to a refreshing emphasis on practical effects over CGI-with one major exception that I won’t spoil–and it’s a true feast for the senses. The musical score by Benjamin Wallfisch (Blade Runner 2049, Twisters) beautifully evokes the seminal scores of Jerry Goldsmith and James Horner, and it’s worth paying full price for a ticket just to hear it on a top of the line sound system. While all of these elements are crucial to making Alien: Romulus stand out, they take a back seat to the simple act of giving us characters whom we actually care about from the moment they come on screen. The relationship between Rain and Andy is wonderful and captivating, and I felt a tenderness for these two that created high stakes and an emotional investment that neither Prometheus or Alien: Covenant were able to come close to delivering. When the danger comes, I felt that I was right in the thick of it in a way that this franchise hasn’t been able to achieve for decades, and even if at times it plays like a greatest hits album, I was on my feet going wild with each classic refrain.
Spaeny has been on my actors to watch list since Pacific Rim: Uprising in 2018, and she makes Rain a strong yet vulnerable central character who is nearly impossible not to root for, with Jonsson’s deeply moving and slightly unnerving portrayal of Andy complimenting it perfectly. Wu and and especially Merced are terrific, creating palpable fear that had me squirming in my seat. The most surprisingly intriguing performance is something that I can’t touch on without getting jumped on by the spoiler police, which I take very seriously, both because it’s my job to care and because geeks have a way of making me fear for my life (I could give away every single detail in Widow Clicquot or Tuesday and never hear a word, yet if I say so much as imply that we might see super powers used in a Marvel movie, the knives come out). I will say that I’m fascinated to see how this particular character and how they figure into the film is received by audiences and by Hollywood is something that I’m fascinated to watch, and it adds a incredible subtext to the themes of life, evolution, and control over nature and life that have been prevalent since the first film.
Alien: Romulus is easily the welcome surprise of the summer, and it’s a shot in the arm for popular filmmaking as an art form that I for one desperately needed at this point. It’s not for all tastes, as it is very intense and contains generous helping of blood, pus, and all the other fluids you’d expect to encounter in an Alien movie, and even a couple that you won’t be. If you’re a fan of the franchise, or even just a fan of the horror genre, this is a treat that is not to be missed, and it stands a good chance of making my best of the year list, and the most fun I’ve had being scared in 20 years or more. –Patrick Gibbs
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