“Fede Álvarez has nailed it. His Alien: Romulus is the perfect middle part between the classic first two movies. The Xenomorph is back in a big way.”
Finally, it is here. Alien: Romulus has exploded from the chests of 20th Century Studios and given us, the audience, a firm (Face) hug. The seventh chapter in the franchise, and the first standalone movie featuring everyone’s favourite Xenomorph, Ridley Scott steadies the hand of director Fede Álvarez. Scott’s input can be seen all over this new movie. Considering Scott pushed for the film to be made based on Álvarez’s pitch alone speaks volumes. With a cast which includes Cailee Spaeny. David Jonsson. Archie Renaux. Isabela Merced. Spike Fearn. And Aileen Wu, hopes are high for the movie. Set in between the events of the original Alien and its epic sequel, Aliens, the film is claustrophobic and chilling. But can it reach the heights of those first two movies, or does it fall into the same lows as Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection?
PREMISE
Set between the events of Alien and Aliens, the story concerns a group of young space colonists who, while scavenging a derelict space station, come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.
THOUGHTS
Fans of the franchise can breathe easy. Although the film can’t match the suspense and thrills of the first two movies, it still has a lot going for it. The slow build-up to the expected scares and violence fits the film extremely well. Instead of diving straight in, the film allows us to settle in for what’s to come. But when the scares and violence do arrive, they are handled deftly. Just like the original movie, the characters we follow are only a few doomed souls. And this works. No Colonial Marines battling the Xenomorphs, no prisoners on a prison planet to die off at will. Here, we have five humans and one Android that have to take on the threat that jumps out at them.
Fans may go either way when it comes to nostalgia. The film is dripping with it. Avid fans should get a kick from the faithful nods to what’s gone before and what’s in the future. As the film is set between the first two movies, we can see and hear things that are in Aliens appearing during proceedings. There are many throwbacks that should elicit smiles and knowing laughs from the fans. However, some may complain that there are too many nods and throwbacks that saturate the film at times. I personally found them hugely enjoyable, but some may say it’s too much. Some will agree that the nostalgia threatens to overwhelm the film. While others will be overjoyed by what they see. And without any spoilers, there are several big surprises in store for faithful fans.
CAILEE SPAENY AND DAVID JONSSON
The cast is all game, knowing that the audience is there to see them die brutally at the hands of our favourite Xenomorphs. Cailee Spaeny as Rain gets the Ripley role, someone doing what they need to survive, before meeting the aliens and throughout. The young actress pulls it off with relative ease, being the one who stands tall and leading the survivors to what they hope will be salvation and survival. She, alongside David Jonsson as Andy, are the characters we root for from start to finish. She also gets to have her ‘Ripley’ moments that will have the audience fist-punching the air in delight.
Speaking of David Jonsson, he is the character that everyone will take to their hearts. As Andy, an android programmed by Rain’s father to act as her brother, Jonsson gives a heartfelt and emotional performance. He has us feeling sorry for him many times during the film. Andy is almost like a depressed, quiet, thoughtful version of Bishop, a synthetic with a heart of gold. He is constantly antagonised by Spike Fearn as Bjorn about his worth, his condition and his eventual fate. We can’t help but take the character to our hearts. This is all due to an outstanding MVP acting performance from David Jonsson.
THE SUPPORTING CAST
The supporting cast plays their roles extremely well, even as we know that most, if not all won’t reach the end credits. Archie Renaux as Tyler, Rain’s ex-boyfriend gets the majority of the screen time the supporting cast gets. He is almost like Dallas or Hicks at times. Tyler is side by side with Rain for most of the time, and he gets to have his epic standout moment three-quarters of the way through proceedings. Isabela Merced as Kay, Tyler’s sister gets sidelined for a majority of the film but has a vital part to play in proceedings. We actually feel sorry for her at times but we fear for her when she gets involved in what’s going on. She is one character that we hope to see make it out alive by the time the movie ends.
SPIKE FEARN AND AILEEN WU
Spike Fearn as Bjorn, Tyler and Kay’s cousin is the one character we want to see get brutally killed off. His antagonistic behaviour towards Andy has us detecting him from the first time he appears. It could be that he was written as a kind of character in the vein of Hudson, but he’s nowhere near it. He is vile, disgusting and unlikeable, a feeling that is reinforced around the hour mark of the film. Fearn plays the character well, making us hate Bjorn with a passion.
Aileen Wu as Navarro, a pilot and Bjorn’s girlfriend is, as we see in the trailers, the one character we know isn’t going to make it. And so it goes. The first character to depart from proceedings, she gets a passionate hug from a Facehugger, leaving her to face the inevitable. The actress makes the most of her screen time before she gives birth to the Chestburster in graphic, gory style.
THE ALIENS
And now, we turn to what we’ve come to see. Forget the meat puppets, the aliens are who we are on the edge of our seats for, awaiting their arrival. Fans may feel a little letdown. Not that the creatures themselves are a letdown, far from it. Considering that they are practical effects, for the most part, they are as nasty and evil as ever. However, the first half of the film contains one Chestburster and a huge amount of Facehuggers.
Seeing these returning beasties is still a thrill, even more so as the Facehuggers here are relentless. We’ve seen more than a few in some of the other movies, but here, you can’t get away from them. They are as nasty, single-minded and horrible as ever. The chestburster gets to have his time in the spotlight, however, how briefly. But it is wonderful to see him up close and personal again like we saw him in the original Alien.
THE XENOMORPH
The Xenomorph is, in reality, who we’ve come to see. However, he/she/it doesn’t make an appearance until well after the hour mark. And strangely, we miss him/her/it. Of course, when it does make an appearance, we are thrilled, scared, and petrified as always. The Xenomorph is as nasty and as crafty as ever. When it appears, we wait to see who is going to meet its inner jaws or stinger on its tail first. And it doesn’t let us down. Sadly, the lateness of its first appearance feels a slight against us. Some can argue that Ridley Scott went the same way with the first film. That may be true, but audiences don’t have the patience to wait nowadays. The wait is worth it but some people may feel cheated.
DIRECTION AND WRITING
Fede Álvarez directs the film alongside co-writing the script with Rodo Sayagues. And he excels as usual. Álvarez is a master when it comes to directing horror movies and his prowess once again shines through. Taking a leaf out of Ridley Scott’s book, he slowly and deliberately builds the suspense before unleashing the carnage. His directorial style fits in brilliantly with the franchise and its subject material. He shoots the film confidently, and stylishly and has created a winning movie that fits neatly in between the first two movies. The colours are vibrant, the darkness has us extremely uneasy and the film looks and feels glorious.
The screenplay takes the ball and runs with it. Although it does lean maybe a bit too far into the nostalgic aspects, it has enough new and fresh material here to keep us invested throughout. It also opens up the possibility of moving the franchise away from the source material, leading to a plot thread that can easily be picked up again in a sequel, should it be greenlighted. There is more than enough material here to continue the franchise by going off in a different direction than the main storyline.
THE SCORE
The score by Benjamin Wallfisch is a masterstroke. On its own, the score is perfect for the film. It has enough scary, spooky and bombastic elements to stand on its own feet. But Wallfisch pulls off the masterstroke we all desired and hoped for. His score takes themes and cues from Jerry Goldsmith’s original score as well as elements from James Horner’s core from the sequel. Combined with what original elements he provides, Wallfisch has provided an almost perfect score, one that acknowledges what has gone before and after it while forging its own unique path. It is one score that demands to be added to our music libraries. Fans will get a blast out from the nods and tributes the composer gives to the franchise throughout the years.
VERDICT
Fede Álvarez has nailed it. His Alien: Romulus is the perfect middle part between the classic first two movies. The Xenomorph is back in a big way. Although the nostalgic elements may have some fans shaking their heads, they lend the film a genuine sense of belonging. The visual effects are masterful, the acting is superb, and the whole package makes the movie one of the best films of the summer. This is what we’ve been waiting for, an Alien film worthy of the name. While we may wish to see more of the main creature than we get, it is still enough to keep us invested in what we see. Instead of being something we’ve seen before and expect, Álvarez has made the alien scary again.
While it does tend to rely on jump scares in places, it isn’t that dependent on them. The atmosphere and overall feel for what we see is enough to have us on the edge of our seats from the start. Claustrophobic, nerve-wracking, gory entertainment, this is what we’ve been hoping for since the summer of 1986. A genuine sequel/ sidequal that is worthy of carrying the moniker. With some elements that will have the audience fist pumping the air or applauding loudly, this is what cinema was made for. In space, no one can hear you scream. In the cinema, everyone can hear you scream. Or for the most part, cheer loudly. A complete triumph.
Alien: Romulus is released on August 16th from 20th Century Studios.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
