"While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonists come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe." -IMdB
Title: ALIEN: ROMULUS
Year: 2024 Directed By: Fede Álvarez Written By: Fede Álvarez, Rodo Sayagues Duration: 1h 59m Genre: Horror, Sci-fi Starring: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu Language: English Score: 9/10
WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT IT?
1. BRINGING BACK THE CLASSIC ALIEN GENRE
Which is horror in a sci-fi setting. Director Fede Álvarez is a major fan of Alien and he knows very well about what makes the film work in the first place. It was scary and tense, that's it. You don't know where the monster is lurking, you can't tell for sure who's the next victim, and you don't know what kind of threat is looming upon them but you know it's there. You'll experience a bunch of jump scares too, none of which feels cheap or predictable. Without its heavy world-building (or might I say, franchise-building) that burdens its most recent predecessors, Alien: Romulus is simply a spot-on horror sci-fi film. And by adding the action genre into this film, this film is a distinct sequel that's not trying to copy its predecessor but following its roots and developing it into a new breed.
2. YOUNGER CHARACTERS (AND GREAT CASTING!)
Alien films are always led by characters in their 30s or 40s. Their problems and responsibilities obviously reflect their age. I think it's a fresh and smart take to change this. By making characters in their 20s lead the story, they're more driven, more desperate, but also more impulsive in some ways. We can see decision-making being done in a way that's not too similar to other Alien films. Oh, and I love that they don't force a romance subplot into this, like most films with younger characters tend to do.
Alien films are never complete with a female heroin leading the story. And Cailee Spaeny is a great choice to bring Rain's character to life. Don't worry, she's not a Ripley rip-off nor is she trying to be one. She's just the right kind of character, with enough determination, flaws, and intelligence, to receive the spotlight. All the other cast are also good choices, but I do want to give particular applause to Isabela Merced for intensifying the horror side perfectly.
3. PRODUCTION DESIGN, SOUND DESIGN, AND CINEMATOGRAPHY
PRODUCTION DESIGN: For a movie of this scale and setting, it surely won't work without the right production design. I've seen a lot of people mentioning the game "Alien: Isolation" being referenced many times in the film. But since I don't play the game, to be honest, for me, a lot of the settings remind me of the original 1979 Alien film, in a good way. It was sort of beautiful in a twisted way, giving us the perfect visual to aid the fear. It was neatly designed and no details were missed. And of course, with the right color choices to intensify that claustrophobia.
SOUND DESIGN: Another perfect factor that escalates the horror. The silence is put in the most perfect times. The bang that comes with a jump scare is just enough and doesn't take away the visual factor. The scoring guides us to feel for the character. Nothing is too much, and nothing is too little, they're simply invisible in the best way possible.
CINEMATOGRAPHY: As someone who gets easily scared, I was hiding behind my fingers during most of the jump scare scenes. But I tried to be brave to see it all, simply because I didn't want to miss the amazing cinematography. Don't compare this with classic indie films that are actually trying to make a statement. Alien: Romulus is still, after all, a movie for entertainment. But for this standard, there are many beautiful shots with perfectly chosen colors and framing. Just enough to satisfy your need for visual precision.
4. CONNECTIONS TO PAST FILMS AND GAME
As I mentioned before, a lot of people have pointed out that there are some obvious connections or references to the game "Alien: Isolation". Apparently, this film also bears connections to the other Alien films, as it's set between Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986). All the other films (excluding the Alien vs. Predator films), including the most recent Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017) are also referenced to some extent. Just like how they don't force a romance subplot, they also don't force these references. They're not big enough to alter the story, so unfamiliar audiences won't be confused. But for those who know this franchise well, it'd feel like the cherry on top.
5. PERFECT STORYTELLING WITH PERFECT DURATION
1 hour and 59 minutes without any dragging in the story at all. There's a clear goal for the main characters that's established very early on. There are clear stakes that keep us at the edge of our seats. Threats are always upgraded. There are exposition scenes that are written well and shown compactly. The characters' motivations are always driving them and everything makes sense.
The first act gives an important threat to the main characters that drives the second act, which is filled with enjoyable action and suspense here and there. It then intensifies with the right pacing, so it can all blow up in the third act. The story then closes with a compelling ending that feels rewarding after everything that we've seen.
Since the main character is also quite smart with enough realistic flaws, you want to stick with her and see where the story ends for her.
I don't think there's any scene that needs to be deleted as it's compact enough without confusing anyone. If the director ever wants to spend more time with the side characters and create more depth, a few more scenes here and there wouldn't hurt. But hey, as an action/horror/sci-fi film, why drag when you don't have to?
WHAT'S NOT GOOD ABOUT IT?
1. THAT ONE SCENE [SPOILER ALERT]
If you've seen the film, I'm pretty sure you know which scene, or specifically, which shot. Yup, it's when Rain was falling as Andy watches and one of the Xenomorphs catches her with its super pointy and deadly tail instead of, I don't know, stab her as it always does to people? And then it proceeds to look at her deeply for a few seconds (for apparently no reason?), just to give time for Andy to save Rain. And then he delivers the iconic line, which is inferior, in my opinion, to the original, but not the worst part of the film. I couldn't help but frown when that happened. That simply didn't make any sense. But I do acknowledge there's a lot of other good things about the film that I can't miss, so I let this one slide.
[END OF SPOILER]
2. THE FINAL TRAILER
Yes, I know this is not part of the film. But I want to point this out, basically as a warning for those anticipating the film. DO NOT WATCH THE FINAL TRAILER. If you really need any information at all about the film, watch the teaser trailer only. It'll give you an accurate glimpse of what's coming but still mysterious enough without any spoilers. The final trailer shows at least 2 major spoilers that will take away the fun of discovering the scenes for the first time. I made the mistake of watching it and boy, do I regret it.
Marketing, you did a bad job.
WHAT'S SO-SO ABOUT IT?
1. ANDY
This is not exactly a spoiler since I'm pretty sure the detail of his identity is shown in the promotional material, but if you want to be completely blind before watching the film, I recommend you skip reading this part.
So, Andy is the android of the story, as there's always been an android character in Alien films. One of the most popular is probably David / Walter in Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), played wonderfully by Michael Fassbender. And after seeing David, I do feel like Andy is definitely the inferior character. And that applies to comparison to the other androids too, such as Ash in Alien (1979) and Bishop in Aliens (1986). For me, Andy is a little too stiff but also not human enough, whereas Ash and Bishop are both very human and David / Walter is obedient yet intelligent. I think they're trying to paint Andy as this little brother character but also stiff and plain to appear different from humans. Maybe they could've leaned more toward one of the characteristics to make him more distinct. But I don't think this is a big flaw that takes away the greatness of the film. And David Jonsson did a pretty good job portraying different sides of Andy. I just don't end up caring that much about him.
Alien: Romulus might just be the long-awaited comeback of the Alien franchise glory. It mirrors the success of Prey (2022) in bringing back the Predator franchise's greatness. They both did it by stripping away their heavy franchise-building plots and sticking to their roots: horror and suspense. I highly recommend this film to all Alien fans and also to those who are just looking for a fun entertaining film with an engaging story, great visuals, and a lot of jump scares.
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