“Alien: Romulus” Mostly Awes

Alien: Romulus (Fede Alvarez, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars

With a chilling new take on Evil Dead and the fresh and original Don’t Breathe under his belt, director Fede Alvarez now tackles one of the most acclaimed sci-fi horror franchises in cinema. Alien: Romulus squeezes itself in on the timeline between the original Alien and Aliens, following a new heroine, Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny, Civil War), as she and her beloved android friend, Andy (David Jonsson, Rye Lane), are given the chance to join a band of Weyland-Yutani colonists to scavenge a supposedly abandoned science station, codenamed “Romulus & Remus.” Upon arriving on the vessel, however, the young scavengers soon find that they are up against the terrifying threat that is the Xenomorphs (i.e., the titular aliens), as well as deadly secrets that Weyland-Yutani has kept from the galaxy.

Alvarez breaks amazing ground bringing the franchise back to its roots, creating a visual and narrative experience that meshes perfectly with Alien and Aliens, and even manages to validate and incorporate themes and story points from Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, making it one of the more spectacular installments. The first thing to note is Alvarez’s visceral art design, including some satisfyingly grotesque concepts and delightful practical effects that would make H.R. Giger proud. Romulus fits well into the franchises’ source material, bringing a few familiar faces back in highly creative ways and capturing some nostalgic replications of set design, props, and costuming.

While I am not overly impressed by the film’s exposition, supporting cast and the writing, all of them do a great job moving the story forward, leading us to the inevitable horror. In other installments, I am usually underwhelmed by the overuse of the full adult alien form, and the underusage of its various other forms (face-hugger, infancy, etc.). However, Alvarez emphasizes the full life cycle of the Xenomorph, playing to the franchise’s strengths and creating startling spectacle in the process. Ultimately, however, the loving dynamic between Spaeny and Jonsson drives the story, and some highly intriguing themes can be found behind Jonsson’s android character.

Alas, as the film comes to an exhilarating conclusion, I am confounded by a film that feels the need to add a final 20 minutes that, while shocking, pushes certain themes from  Prometheus and Alien: Covenant too far over the edge of credibility. The need to add the “just when you thought it was over” surprise finale detracts from a wildly bracing elevator shaft showdown between Rain and the Alien. Providing no real substance to the film’s ending, this story point tries to both create and answer questions within the last sequence, with baffling results that sadly resemble the misbegotten Alien: Resurrection.

While Alvarez hits a rough road bump there, overall Alien: Romulus is everything you want in an Alien film. It’s gory and bizarre in appropriate amounts, vivid in science fiction aesthetic, and gives a satisfying story to adequately expand the Alien universe. At the same time, Alvarez also sticks to the source material like glue and pays tremendous homage to the original ideas, all the while finding fun ways to incorporate newer ones. While it doesn’t necessarily rival the original two entries, it agreeably is one of the better sequels to be made. Alvarez and his team have created an Alien movie that is sure to be remembered down the line.

Adam Vaughn

Adam Vaughn is a graduate of the Film & Moving Image program at Stevenson University, with a focus in Cinematography and Production. He also has a minor in Theater and Media Performance. Adam works as a freelance photographer and videographer, focusing his craft on creating compelling photographic and cinematic imagery. Adam is excited to join the Film Festival Today team and explore the world of cinema and visual arts.