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Fede Alvarez has finally brought back the Alien franchise in a huge way with Alien: Romulus which arrived in theaters on August 16, 2024. The first Alien movie in seven years, the Cailee Spaeny-starrer is set between the first film and Aliens. It focuses on a group of space colonists trying to salvage a derelict space station only to be met by the deadliest organism: the Xenomorph.
From gore to horrific monsters, Alien: Romulus has it all, but the question remains: is it scary enough? And in parts, yes! The film packs in a good amount of dread that will be appreciated by fans of the franchise. It takes the series back to its roots focusing on a group just being hunted by the Xenomorph, and there are sequences here that can certainly help sell the idea across.
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Warning: Spoilers for the film to follow and the opinions presented here don't reflect the whole of Sportskeeda's.
The 2024 film in parts feels like an amalgamation of Alien, Aliens, and Prometheus. While it has the scares of the first film, the action of the second, and the sci-fi themes of Ridley Scott's first prequel - it mashes all those tones together to create something big.
More about Cailee Spaeny-starrer Alien: Romulus
The film takes the franchise back to its roots
In a nutshell, the film takes the franchise back to its roots and has a lot in common with Ridley Scott's 1979 original movie. From bloody and gooey messes to mutilations that feel stripped straight of H.R. Giger's nightmares - it truly earns its scares.
It builds a sense of dread throughout the movie. A particular encounter with the Facehuggers in a cryo chamber is a nail-biting sequence that will certainly have the viewers on the edge of their seat.
The Xenomorphs feel dangerous
After a long time, the Xenomorph finally gets to be on the screen again, and Alvarez frames the creature in the same way Ridley Scott and James Cameron did.
When emulating the feeling of Alien, Alvarez portrays it as a stalker who can easily blend in with the retro-industrial look of the space station. On the other hand, while imitating Aliens, he portrays the creatures as the force of nature when they assemble to attack in a horde. It truly feels dangerous and fills in a sense of dread that helps carry the aura of this iconic movie monster.
Alien: Romulus goes a step further
While Alien: Romulus pays massive respect to the Facehuggers and the Xenomorphs by portraying them as the nightmares they are, it goes a step further. At the end of the film, the character Kay (Isabela Merced) injects herself with the black substance derived from the Xenomorph in order to save herself.
With her also being pregnant, Kay ends up giving birth to an Engineer x Xenomorph hybrid that is tall and lanky. It looks like a diabolical painting brought to life. It truly is a nightmarish creature that helps elevate the final act of the film and will probably have you squirming while looking at the screen.
Alien: Romulus can sometimes lose a track of itself
Unfortunately, Alien: Romulus movie can sometimes lose its aura due to the several homages and references that it packs in. While not a huge issue, the references and callbacks can take you out of the film, not to mention the likeness of the late Ian Holm being used to portray another android.
It does feel uncomfortable and feeds into Hollywood's obsession with bringing back actors who have passed away through the use of CGI. The film can feel predictable at times too because it is pretty obvious that Cailee Spaeny's Rain is the lead of the film.
The original Alien worked because viewers never knew that Sigourney Weaver was the lead of the film until the end, and it was fair game for everyone to be killed off.
However, if you're a fan of Alien, then you really can't go wrong with Alien: Romulus. It is a blast at the cinemas, so make sure to watch it on the biggest screen possible. Watch the film in theaters now.
