Alien: Romulus2024.

Director: Fede Alvarez.
Starring Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu, Rosie Ede, Soma Simon, Bence Okeke, Viktor Orizu, Robert Bobroczkyi, Trevor Newlin and Annemarie Griggs.

SUMMARY:

While plundering the depths of an abandoned space station, a group of young space colonizers encounter the most fearsome life form in the universe.

Alien: Romulus Director Fede Alvarez once again proves his skills in the art of remixing. Similar to his 2014 evil Dead remake, there are twists on iconic, expected moments that rarely feel cheap because the filmmaker (who co-wrote the screenplay with Rodo Sayagues) is clever enough to tweak something about a given sequence to make it either feel fresh or forgive the familiar aspect when it crops up. Take its variation on the chest explosion sequence: the setup in terms of characterization is similar (arguing over whether or not to bring the affected person back on board), but this journey also comes with making each stage play out differently, like a moment where those space miners try to freeze the tail of the facehugger attached to the victim in the hopes that it will loosen its grip.

Fede Alvarez also masters tension and atmosphere perfectly, while utilizing practical effects, animatronics, and a piercing, pulsating score by Benjamin Wallfisch. If the question is, “Can a new version of a chest explosion still work?”, the answer is yes. It may not be as shocking as the first time around, but in this execution, it still feels exciting, emotive, and even terrifying to a certain extent. It also helps that these characters have different reasons for being aboard an abandoned ship carrying Xenomorphs and corpses lying around with impressively disgusting makeup effects.

In this respect, Fede Alvarez is basically making a Foreigner remake with, well, multiple aliens, before taking things in its own incredibly wacky direction for the finale. In other ways, some of it is understandably disappointing (did we really need to rewatch THAT climax) and too focused on fanservice, not to mention that a single creative decision raises ethical concerns.

Take time to define the characters, Alien: Romulus introduces viewers to Cailee Spaeny’s Rain, an overworked miner who worked enough hours to be allowed to leave this colony (her father also died due to these harsh working conditions), only to be lied to and given several thousand hours on top of that debt. Considering that people in the real world are overworked every day, as if they’re expected to put mundane jobs above everything else in life, this proves to be a pretty damn relatable motivation to cheer Rain on in her unexpected and unlikely quest for liberation.

Rain works with and is mentored by her android “brother” Andy (David Jonsson), who is also programmed to tell dad jokes. Rain learns of a plan by her colleague for a group of them to fly into space and board the aforementioned abandoned ship (Romulus), which has cryogenic escape pods that could freeze them for the necessary years until they reach a safer colony with more decent living conditions, even if it’s about to crash into another structure. As far as characterization goes, there’s not much special about these companions, they’re mostly defined by basic traits; one of them despises androids for personal reasons, another happens to be pregnant (and you know Fede Alvarez has something joyfully twisted in store for that), there’s a pilot, and of course the obligatory young man with a softer side who is nice to Rain (though he’s certainly not a love interest).

The crux of this otherwise thin story is the relationship between Rain and Andy, with Rain doing everything he can to ensure he has free will and feeling a little guilty because his first order of business is always to do what’s best for her. The mission is also impossible without him, as his built-in technology has the information necessary to overcome locked doors aboard the ship. Of course, Rain also wants to make sure he isn’t taken advantage of or put at risk, especially since one of these colonizers is aggressive and sees Andy as an expendable object once he’s served his purpose.

This aspect is turned on its head when Andy requires an upgrade, turning him into a colder being who cares solely about survival rates and passing information to the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. While not necessarily explored in detail, it’s a nuanced take on the time-tested theme of examining humanity in androids. The chemistry between Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson also successfully conveys their sibling bond.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the rest of the crew are easy targets for grisly and gruesome deaths, with a sense of urgency in every dangerous sequence. Any of them could die at any moment. As the plan goes awry and the horror progresses, Cailee Spaeny slowly reveals herself to be a real daredevil, sometimes reminiscent of a young Sigourney Weaver: resourceful, self-sufficient and capable when it’s time to act, with an adrenaline-fueled talent for thrilling one-liners. Fede Alvarez switches the zero gravity on and off, stringing together several suspenseful sequences, including one in an elevator that’s more elaborate and suspenseful than the rest.

Alien: Romulus has neither ambition nor much originality, but it is characterized by a frosty atmosphere, an increasing dynamic and an unflappably wild Cailee Spaeny.

Assessment of the flickering myth – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Cinema: ★ ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the reviews editor at Flickering Myth. Find new reviews here, follow my Þjórsárden or Letterboxd, or email me at [email protected]

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