Terror Returns to Space in Kick-Ass Interquel Alien: Romulus (2024)
Title: Alien: Romulus
First Non-Festival Release: August 14, 2024 (Theatrical Release)
Director: Fede Álvarez
Writer: Dan O’Bannon, Ronald Shussett, Fede Álvarez, Rodo Sayagues
Runtime: 119 Minutes
Starring: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
Few horror franchises have spanned the depth of decades as gracefully as the Alien series. Spanning nine feature films and six decades, Alien has proven its staying power in the cultural lexicon. Defying a traditional means of progressing of the story, Alien: Romulus is a standalone interquel, opening up more threads in the universe of Xenomorphs and Weyland-Yutani.
Alien: Romulus serves up action-packed Xenomorph terror with classic tension and modern twists.
Hapless explorers dreaming of a better life beyond the colonies allow this familiar yet restrained tale to hold its own amongst the more bombastic entries in the franchise. Opening in the depressing and dangerous colony, Alien: Romulus keeps its stakes high from the beginning explaining how dire life is for the protagonists before they even encounter a facehugger. Rain (Cailee Spaeny) works alongside her synthetic “brother” Andy (David Jonsson) toiling for the opportunity to escape the depressing colony she has called home. When a chance comes in the form of a daring mission, Rain knows she cannot pass on it.
Rain acts as a solid stand in for Ellen Ripley while carving her own place in the timeline. Rain is a dreamer, yet tough and responsible from years of labor on the colony. Once she and the rest of the crew aboard the lifeless vessel, they discover why it has been abandoned for so long. From there, Rain acts as both moral compass and capable leader once the danger becomes clear. Not without fault or fear, Rain avoids becoming a stock heroine and does plenty of things that could get her killed. Between her wit and the skills of those around her, she keeps the story going as a great everywoman.
While Spaeny carries the action of the film, David Jonsson holds the heart of the film as Andy. Sensitive, protective, and loyal, Andy epitomizes the opposite of what other synthetics prioritize. An older model not behest to the ever-growing needs of Weyland, Andy’s sole directive is to do what is best for Rain, programmed by her father before his passing. A glitchy update threatens Andy and Rain’s relationship as they dodge the hordes of alien creatures aboard the craft and Andy’s true loyalties are tested. Jonsson switches between soft and hard personas with finesse, making his impending transformation even more terrifying. Without his multifaceted performance, the necessary innocence and softness would not exist within Andy, which would truly be a shame for the film.
Known for his expansive genre work, Director Fede Álvarez dials the tension up with impressive tricks that maintain the series’ reputation for terror. With a franchise as prolific as Alien, there are only so many things one can do with the material to catch audiences off guard. Still, Álvarez manages to play with audience expectations by switching up how the carnage unfolds. Surprise attacks in the ship’s underbelly, sneaky maneuvers in frozen facehugger swarms, and a zero gravity sequence that has too much fun with a key quirk of the series, Álvarez keeps audiences on their toes by never giving them enough reprieve to process the horrors that just flashed across the screen. Scares build off each other so Alien: Romulus starts out slower and more methodical before the tension rises to unbearable levels in the final act.
Despite its reportedly modest budget, Álvarez and co spare nothing in making the dystopian world terrifying and beautiful. Between various android and alien creatures, a decrepit ghost space station, and a dazzling showdown on planetary rings, Alien: Romulus spares nothing in terms of showmanship. The sets feel futuristic while never one-upping the source material. Its creatures look real, feeingl at home in the hostile environment without straying from their sleek and slimy texture. Alien: Romulus takes it further by bringing a creation [almost] all its own in another horrific display of its signature scare. Still, space looks as uninviting and harrowing as it needs to be to bring the terror alive.
Another excellent addition to the series, Alien: Romulus brings the terror of space back to the big screen. Strong performances and great characters ensure that the integrity of the overarching story remains while excellent technical components truly help the film itself shine bright. Fans seeking thrills only will find themselves satiated thanks to Álvarez’s confident direction. Yet another diamond of a series continuation this year, Alien: Romulus honors the long-standing franchise that came before it, splendidly.
Overall Score? 8/10
