In space, no one can hear you scream.
A phrase that has stood the test of time and is still as chilling now as it was forty-plus years ago. Ushering in some of the most frightening creatures ever to grace our movie screens. The Alien franchise has continued into its fourth decade and aims to instill fear into a new generation of moviegoers. After a rocky couple of side steps, Alien Romulus hope to re-align itself with its horror roots making us all afraid all over again.
Set between the events of Alien and its sequel Aliens, Alien Romulus takes heavily from all that makes those movies so iconic. Director Fede Alvarez recreates the futuristic visual tone born out of 1970’s technological dreams with dull dented machinery, low lighting and everything looking like it is barely holding together. Anti-company sentiment is the core of the main group of characters’ motivation to get off their wasteland planet and onto greener pastures situated nine years travel away.
Rain (Cailee Spaeny) and her adoptive brother/synth Andy (David Jonsson) had been hoping to have their travel papers approved so they could leave the planet where their parents had worked to death in the mines. Unfortunately, the company has other plans, increasing Rains’ required work time by a further 5 years and transferring her into the mines now. In a moment of good timing, Rain’s friend Tyler (Archie Renaux) contacts her with an offer to get them all off to a new life. All they need is to fly up to an abandoned company spaceship, lift the cryo tubes and they could be on their merry way for the 9-year journey in cryo-sleep. A quick smash-and-grab job, all they need is Andy to help get them on board.
It isn’t long before Rain, Andy and Tyler, joined by their crew Navarro (Aileen Wu), Bjorn (Spike Fearn) and Kay (Isabela Merced), realise that the ship orbiting them is a derelict space station and there may very well be a reason it is being left to rot in space.
Alien Romulus captures the essence of the original titles with a dark and brooding atmosphere and a truly terrifying premise of this creature that is hunting down the crew one by one. Practical effects have thankfully been used instead of the over-saturated CGI we have seen recently adding to the terror on screen. The only time the Xenomorph has looked more nightmare-inducing to me was as a young teen watching something I probably shouldn’t have been. The face huggers have been given an upgrade and will now chase you down instead of lying in wait to pounce on you.
Unfortunately in what is a worrying trend in the industry of late, there is very little depth to the story and next to no character development. I had no connection with any of the characters outside of Rain and Andy and even begged for one to be ripped apart. I’ll leave you to guess who deserved it. While the tension building was a feature, it was all over very quickly with not enough screen time for the Xenomorph. While these issues are prevalent, it doesn’t take away from the fact I walked out happy and will most likely end up at another viewing with mates.
Alien Romulus isn’t a perfect addition to the Alien legacy by any means but a step in the right direction. Its lack of depth for its young ensemble cast might have been a strategic choice but it left parts of the story feeling flat and shoehorned in for relevance.
One thing I will confidently say is this, we may have a new Ripley in our hands ready to take on the Xenomorphs a few more times.
Alien Romulus is out now in theatres, watch it on the biggest loudest screen you can.
