ALIEN: ROMULUS *** U.K. / U.S.A. / Hungary / Australia / New Zealand / Canada 2024 Dir: Fede Álvarez. 119 mins
Fans of the Alien franchise can generally agree that Prometheus and Alien: Covenant were both low points for the series, which is why Disney and 20th Century Studios went in a different direction with Alien: Romulus. Directed by Fede Álvarez, who also bought us Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe, Romulus retains many of the key ingredients which made the Alien franchise so successful to begin with. And the return to focusing on action and horror over the philosophical nonsense of Ridley Scott’s last two Alien films will come as a welcome relief. Álvarez clearly wanted to take the series back to its roots, making Romulus a film which clearly understands and respects both its target audience and the franchise it belongs to.
Taking place between Alien and Aliens, the plot of Romulus focuses on Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny), who works as a miner on a backwater world, with her employers forcing her to remain in her dead-end position for another five years. Rain yearns for a better life for herself and for her cyborg companion, Andy (David Jonsson), who she views as a brotherly figure. Desperate to begin a new life on a more idyllic planet, Rain joins forces with a band of thieves in order to steal valuable items from an abandoned space station, with Andy also accompanying the heist. Although she clearly hopes to earn enough from the escapade to be able to fulfil her dream, things do not go according to plan, as a murderous Xenomorphs lurks in the depths of the space station.
While the set-design was undeniably impressive, it still quickly became tiresome to watch the characters simply walking through the abandoned ship while nothing notable happened for extended periods of time. But as the film progressed, we were gradually treated to a number of thrilling set-pieces. These included a brilliantly suspenseful scene in which Facehuggers attack the characters in a flooded room, and another in which Rain was forced to fight her way through a wave of Xenomorphs in a corridor with no gravity. Watching the hideous beasts being gunned down in a zero-gravity environment was spectacular to witness on the big screen, making it one of the film’s major highlights. This sequence will probably be remembered as one of the best action scenes of the year, and it really is unlike anything else you will find in the Alien franchise. The makers of Romulus also remembered that Xenomorphs are unstoppable killing machines as opposed to the more fallible creatures they were depicted as in some of the later Alien films. Therefore, the way the Xenomorphs are presented in Romulus will no doubt please fans. They were shown to be fearsome and unrelenting creatures which stalked their prey from the shadows and only made their presence known immediately before dispatching their victims. However, it also needs to be said that Romulus suffered from a bloated runtime, and the final act went on for far too long.
One of the most disappointing aspects of Alien: Romulus was the relatively low amount of gore. Most of the on-screen kills were brief and unclear, and while there was just enough graphic content to earn an R-rating, the gore was still largely kept to a minimum. Therefore, we were only shown very brief glimpses of people being savaged by Xenomorphs, with nothing ever being dwelled upon. And the first death sequence did not occur until relatively late into the film, and the frustrating long wait to see somebody being killed will no doubt come as a let-down. In a year when Deadpool & Wolverine grossed over $1 billion at the global box office, it comes as a disappointment to learn that Disney did not allow 20th Century Studios to fully embrace the R-rating which the Alien franchise is known for.
The actors all delivered adequate performances, with David Jonsson, being particularly impressive as the initially childlike Andy, who gradually struggles to regain hold of his more human side as the more sinister aspects of his original programming start to become clear. Jonsson perfectly captured the socially awkward persona which Andy initially displays, and the darker aspects of the character which gradually come to light, making Andy into both a sympathetic and sinister android who experiences a strong character arc. Despite being an android, Andy clearly experienced inner turmoil as he desperately tries to adhere to the moral principles he values above the ruthless objectives he was designed to carry out. And this struggle to retain his artificial humanity ultimately made Andy seem even more human than some of the other characters. Cailee Spaeny was also impressive as Rain, a young woman who desperately wants to escape from the desolate existence which she was thrust into. The talented Spaeny managed to convey both Rain’s desperation and her unyielding determination, making the character into someone who you will feel deserves to succeed. And Rain also proves to be brave and resourceful when the situation gets out of hand, with Spaeny’s natural charisma and believable leadership skills helping to make Rain seem like a worthy heroine in times of crisis.
On the other hand, Archie Renaux was passable as Tyler Harrison, a member of the heist crew. The character seemed almost indulgently cruel and bigoted. It was established early on that Tyler loathes androids, and the constant, hateful remarks he made towards Andy quickly became tiresome. The filmmakers clearly wanted to create a character who audiences would specifically dislike so that his inevitable death sequence would seem gratifying, and while they no doubt succeeded, Tyler still proved to be more of an annoyance than a believable individual.
Romulus has also caused some controversy over its re-creation of the late Ian Holm, since the android character Rook (Daniel Betts) was digitally altered to resemble Ash, the android Holm played in the original film. Betts’ voice was also edited to sound more like Holm, so it really did seem like Holm himself had delivered the performance. Although Holms’ family approved of his likeness being used in Romulus, this may still be unsettling to viewers who dislike seeing deceased actors being digitally re-created onscreen. But Rook still proved to be a compelling character in his own right, and he was clearly a memorable addition to the film.
Although it certainly was not perfect, Alien: Romulus still steered the Alien franchise in the right direction after the series lost its way. With a little more gore and a more focused script, this could easily have been one of the strongest entries in the Alien franchise, but it will still be remembered as a thrilling science fiction horror film which successfully reminded viewers of why the Alien franchise was originally so popular to begin with. Despite not being a masterpiece, fans and general viewers will still find a great deal to appreciate when they watch Alien: Romulus.
Review by David Gelmini
ALIEN: ROMULUS is out now on Digital Platforms including to rent/buy on Amazon Prime Video
ALIEN: ROMULUS is also available to buy on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD + Blu-ray and 4K UHD + Blu-ray Steelbook