Director Fede Álvarez brought screams back to space with Alien: Romulus (2024). But is it too much like the previous Alien films?
The Alien franchise can be a hit or, sadly, a movie-going miss. Alien: Romulus is not something to be missed at the cinema.
This prequel-set-before-a-sequel, much like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), offers stunning visuals, succinct story beats, and nostalgic joyrides.
Set in 2142, between Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986), Alien: Romulus follows Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny), an indentured servant of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, and her technologically challenged android brother Andy (David Jonsson) as they illegally escape a prison-like planet, in the hopes of reaching Yvaga III, a paradise-like world. To do so, the pair join old friends Tyler (Archie Renaux), his sister Kay (Isabela Merced), hot-head Bjorn (Spike Fearn), and Bjorn’s rebel girlfriend (Aileen Wu) on a mission to obtain necessary hypersleep cryo pods from an abandoned spacecraft orbiting above their homeworld that only Andy has access to.
Once aboard the ship, fans quickly encounter familiar faces, one of which is a nostalgic callback that drives the story similar to Harrison Ford’s de-aging in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023). This particular character gives uncanny valley vibes in the numerous scenes they appear in, often leaving viewers wondering how they bridge Alien to Alien: Romulus.
Read: The First Reactions To ‘Alien: Romulus’ Are Here!
Nonetheless, the cinematography of Alien: Romulus is fantastic and beautiful. Director of Photography Galo Olivares uses the Arri Alexa 35 perfectly, as viewers feel they’re present alongside Spaney on the deserted space shuttle.
Romulus offers jumps and jitters that’ll surely please fans while also maintaining a hallmark of director Alfred Hitchcock: Letting the audience in on a secret that the main characters don’t know (yet). Viewers are left guessing what may arise next with various visual queues and exposition hints.
Not only that but Fede Álvarez (Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe) is seriously a fantastic blocking director. Much like Steven Spielberg, Álvarez constantly moves the camera to help show the story, not just verbally explain it with unnecessary dialogue. Yes, you could watch Romulus in black-and-white without any sound and still understand the basic aspects of the plot – the directing is that good.
With the story focusing on the sibling bond between Cailee Spaney (Civil War, Priscilla) and David Jonsson (Industry, Rye Lane) orphaned characters, viewers are given a fresh take on the classic franchise. Fans can rest assured that Rain is not a rehash of Ellen Ripley.
The two female protagonists share similar aspects, such as character motives and weapon choices, but Ripley and Rain are undeniably strong leads. Cailee Spaney’s portrayal of the latest xenomorph killer pulls viewers in a new direction as her dedication to craft and appreciation for the franchise obviously shine through. However, David Jonsson’s Andy constantly steals the screen and storyline (in a great manner) upon his synthetic lifeform, given the coding of Rook to access the tumultuous Romulus shuttle.
After the 2019 Disney/Fox merger, Alien fans were left hanging on the edge of their seat, unsure of what lies next for the classic franchise. After Ridley Scott’s Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017) films were left in the vacuum of Hollywood space, fans were curious if Scott would finish his unofficial “David Trilogy” of the Alien franchise.
While Alien: Romulus hints at lore established with its predecessors, Prometheus and Covenant, we’re still unsure of exactly where the two facehugger embryos that David planted at the end of Covenant are. A missed opportunity in Romulus is the obvious question of what occurred after Alien that led to Aliens. Moreso, the film does not continue Michael Fassbender’s David/Walter storyline, but fans will be pleased to know that The Walt Disney Company is steering the franchise back to its 1979 roots with plenty of callouts to the original movies that cemented the IP.
Romulus lets you be scared while playing in the same field as Ridley Scott and James Cameron’s films. Nonetheless, the physical set creation and practical effects by the original Aliens crew radiate in this summer sci-fi/thriller flick.
In the simplest sense, Romulus is the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story of the Alien franchise from 20th Century Studios. Both encounter the issue of a short runtime. Viewers are left wanting more from both beloved franchises because, well, they’re greatly cherished. Though nostalgia can sometimes take the spotlight in various story aspects and plotlines, it’s evident that both movies are playing in a space sandbox. And, yes, fans will be left wanting more.
