Facehuggers and xenomorphs are back in screeching fashion with the best entry in the franchise since Aliens.
In an era where too often we see films hit streaming services rather than get theatrical releases, credit to Disney for reversing course on its original plans for Alien: Romulus. Originally slated to hit its streaming service Hulu first, Romulus is now arriving in theaters this weekend and the choice makes all the sense in the world. Likely going off the success of the excellent Predator prequel Prey that hit Hulu rather than first opening in theaters, along with the hunger for a new Alien film for the first time in seven years, Disney was wise to give Romulus the theatrical rollout it deserves. And that’s even more evident having seen Romulus, which makes the case for the summer’s best blockbuster. Scary, visually stunning, and fitting nicely in the Alien timeline, Romulus is exactly the kind of jolt this franchise has been in search of for so long.
Taking place between the events of 1979’s Alien and 1986’s Aliens, Romulus follows a crew leaving the mining colony in search of a better life elsewhere. When they discover cryonic stasis chambers on an abandoned spacecraft that could take them to another planet to live better lives, they decide to board it in hopes of using the chambers to take them where they need to go. However, when they arrive at the abandoned spacecraft, they discover it’s a research outpost and uncover what led to demise of the original occupants.
Much like the original Alien, Romulus spends a good amount of time setting things up. But when the crew boards the abandoned spacecraft, things continue to ramp up as the story goes on. However, where the story goes minutes after the crew boards the abandoned spacecraft comes with a twist that has not been seen in the film’s marketing. And while I will not spoil the twist for you, I will say that it ties together films in the franchise and ultimately works in the grand scheme of things when you consider what the cast of characters are dealing with. This story decision will undoubtedly spark controversy and some backlash. However, it functions as a core mechanic in a film that helps director Fede Alvarez get this franchise back on track by simply doing two things. First, going back to the basics with this franchise that is meant to be scary. And second, putting his own spin on the story.
Having made the blood-soaked Evil Dead reboot and the much talked about thriller Don’t Breathe, Alvarez puts a new wrinkle in the franchise that needed a fresh set of eyes (no disrespect to Ridley Scott, director of the original film and the two most recent prequels). And while Alvarez does make sort of a hybrid between the scary simplicity of Alien and a thrilling, action-packed third act reminiscent of Aliens, he also adds freaky elements to the film, including how the creatures attack human characters that result in the spilling of plenty of blood and guts while also adding another twist to the entire Alien storyline that will shock viewers. Much like the previous twist (not spoiled here), this other twist works in the grand scheme of things given how Romulus can be viewed as a one-off entry among the entire franchise.
From beginning to end, Alien: Romulus is a visual sight to behold. From spacecrafts to set pieces, practical effects, and animatronics galore, you can see the labor of love that went into every scene of the film. Adding a sense of realism to the horror playing out on screen, it’s a welcome sight in a sea of recent blockbusters that rely on heavy visual effects work to carry their films. In terms of the film’s action, there is one sequence that really stands out among them all, and let’s just say it defies gravity in the best way possible.
Alien: Romulus is not without its imperfections, however. While the two leads in the film, played by Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson as her adoptive brother are great, the rest of the cast and their storylines pale in comparison. While sure, this is just a crew of individuals trying to find a fresh new start, they do feel a bit hollow. Also, while there is no “fan service” beaten into your head here (though there are plenty of easter eggs in the film), there is one noticeable line from a character that is recognizable from a previous film in the franchise but falls flat in Romulus.
Post-release of Aliens back in 1986, the Alien franchise has produced film after film that has divided viewers. And in more recent years, the franchise tried filling in the gaps with prequels leading up to Alien that attempted to answer questions about creation and the origins of xenomorphs that tried to reinvent a franchise that simply did not ned reinventing. For a franchise that has had its peaks and valleys, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to a franchise in which viewers want to see the hallmarks that scare them: chests bursting and xenomorphs being able to easily hide and terrorize characters. Alien: Romulus more than accomplishes its mission in going back to its horror roots with a fresh and thrilling entry that lines up with one of the most brilliant marketing slogans in film history with the release of the very first Alien film back in 1979: In space no one can hear you scream.