Since 1979, the Alien franchise has consistently delivered a suspenseful, isolated thrill ride in space. After marathoning the films leading up to Alien: Romulus, directed by Fede Alvarez, each director (much like Mission: Impossible) has made their mark in the franchise.
Ridley Scott perfectly encapsulates the empty void of space and the eeriness of its atmosphere in Alien. James Cameron elevates the action sequences and emotional weight in Aliens. Even though Alien3 is a big departure in tone from the previous two instalments, David Fincher’s feature debut has the beginnings of his style as a director. Given the proper ending in the trilogy, Alien: Resurrection brought an entirely new concept of artificial intelligence. For a late 90s film, director Jean-Pierre Jeunet made a fun space adventure despite the writing by Joss Whedon being a major setback.
In 2012, Ridley Scott returned to the director’s chair for Prometheus, a sequel to his first instalment. Scott reworked the atmosphere from the first film, enhancing the horror of space with technological advancements. Michael Fassbender as the AI David is still one of his best performances. Scott’s attachment to the franchise continued with Alien: Covenant, which amplified the horror elements and made the Xenomorph feel deadlier than before. Scott created a dark, soulless planet filled with creatures that were ruthless and ready to destroy. After becoming invested in David’s story, having two versions of his AI was intriguing and showcased Fassbender’s talents in a dual role. For some reason, Prometheus and Covenant didn’t do well with audiences at the time, but now, the love for them has grown. The Alien franchise has been able to span four decades and create a fondness for sci-fi thrillers like no other franchise.
The excitement for Alien: Romulus stems from horror director Fede Alvarez impressing audiences with his Evil Dead remake. He brutally executes kills and creates suspense with silence on screen. Alvarez has the ship come out of the pits of darkness in space and pays homage to the opening credits of Alien. The film takes place between the first and second instalments. And there are plenty of references to both to appease fans.
Due to the narrative being straightforward in most Alien films, the story is always elevated by the character dynamics and how they emotionally ground the film. In Romulus, Cailee Spaeny leads the way as Rain Carradine, alongside her android brother, Andy, played by David Jonsson. The two of them are forced on this mission because Andy has the clearance to walk aboard another ship with cryo chambers. After tirelessly working in the mines, the group of six plan to escape so they have a shot at a better life.
The relationship between Spaeny and Jonsson carried the first half of the film because you empathize with Andy as an android. Andy’s directive is to do what’s best for Rain. It has been that way since she was a child. The sibling dynamic grounds the film and Andy’s arc is conflicting for Rain. The story revolves around the two of them more than the rest of the crew.
However, co-writers Fede Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues planted seeds within the supporting cast to pay off later in the film. The pacing of Romulus holds steady as Alvarez builds small suspenseful moments with impactful climaxes while encountering the creatures as they progress throughout the film. The creature designs have improved throughout the years, and Alvarez pulled from his horror roots to show the Xenomorph differently.
Alvarez insisted on using practical effects for the creatures, and it added to the authenticity of being isolated in space with these aliens. Visually, this film is a treat because of Galo Olivares’ cinematography. The use of shadows and the darkness with red lighting to heighten the shapes of the creatures in certain sequences made it terrifying.
The third act of this film has Alvarez breaking out of paying homage to the previous instalments and adding his unique flare to the Alien franchise. Rain is just as fearless as Ripley, and she has a similar vulnerability that connects audiences to their characters.
Spaeny owns the third act alongside Jonsson. They go on a tear through the spaceship to kill as many aliens as they can. But Alvarez doesn’t stop at a final battle. The final ten minutes have Alvarez pushing the boundaries of an Alien film to make this the most gruesome and shocking sequence of the franchise. He punches the ending into high gear and leaves you completely shaken. Conceptually it makes sense because of the situation, but visually, it’s some of the most unsettling moments in the franchise.
On top of the visuals, the score by Benjamin Wallfisch perfectly builds every suspenseful moment in the film. The sound design is also important here because of the balance of silence when sneaking through the ship. Alien: Romulus is a real crowd-pleaser for fans of the franchise. Alvarez creates a good balance between references and crafting his sci-fi/horror film.
4/5
Review by: Amanda Guarragi
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