Alien: Romulus – Joe’s Review

29th August 2024

Alien: Romulus film review By Joe Muldoon

Few franchises in horror or science fiction have enjoyed the longevity –and indeed popularity– of Alien. With the original having celebrated its 45th anniversary this year and fan expectations spanning a spectrum from excitement to outright apprehension, Fede Álvarez had quite a task on his hands when opting to helm the seventh direct entry into the series. And by all accounts, mission success.

By now, the overarching plot is quite predictable; a group sets off on an expedition to explore the wreckage of an abandoned ship and find more than they bargained for. Set in 2142, twenty years following Alien and twenty years before Aliens, Cailee Spaeny stars as Rain, an orphan and sister to Andy (David Jonsson), a synthetic human. Together, they dream of living on the planet Yvaga where they can see the sun, a life beyond the Jackson’s Star colony.

Following her Weyland-Yutani contract being extended despite having completed owed service, Rain is enticed by ex-boyfriend Tyler (Archie Renaux) to join a small crew on an illegal expedition to a nearby space vessel, whereby they can salvage cryostasis chambers and make their own ways to Yvaga. Comprising the crew are Kay (Tyler’s pregnant sister, played by Isabela Merced), pilot Navarro (Aileen Wu), and Bjorn (Navarro’s boyfriend and cousin to Kay and Tyler, played by Spike Fearn).

With such a notably young cast of characters, Álvarez has stated that he was inspired by a deleted scene from 1986’s Aliens, speculating on what happens to children who grow up on the incomplete colonies. And the decision to focus solely on a mid-twenties cast is one of the most interesting aspects of the film; rather than an experienced team, we’re instead following a group of youths who have grown up in the colonies, hoping for a better tomorrow. But for that to happen, they have to survive today.

Boarding the hauler ship Corbelan, they set off for the mystery vessel, discovering it to be a research station called the Renaissance, which is made up of two modules: Romulus and Remus, named for the Roman myth, the latter being an older vessel containing more primitive technology than that of its counterpart. After docking the Renaissance, the men of the group set off on what’s supposed to be a quick in-and-out trip, a quick nabbing of some fuel to get the ship’s cryostasis chambers in running order for their voyage to Yvaga. Or so they think. But in doing so, they unwittingly trigger the ship’s lockdown procedures and awaken a foe that fans by now know all too well.

Whilst the narrative itself may not be entirely original to the series, Romulus’ callbacks to its predecessors are sprinkled throughout in a way that doesn’t cheapen their respective moments, instead offering a healthy balance between fan service and timeline continuation. New worldbuilding elements are introduced, with the notably fearsome introduction of a new xeno-being, and an extra layer of chilling intrigue is created.

Visually, this may be the series’ most accomplished entry, both in terms of its special effects (which terrifically flirt between the terrifying and grotesque) and its cinematography, led by director of photography Galo Olivares. Every globule of xenomorph saliva and mucus is brought to life in frankly repulsive detail, testament to the work of the special effects team and the efforts of Álvarez to have Aliens’ special effects crew work on Romulus’ xenomorphs – another piece of evidence to show the importance of practical effects.

‘In space no one can hear you scream’ is likely horror’s most iconic tagline, and Romulus’ sound design ensures that it’s emphasised. Amplifying shrieks and squeals when they do occur, the soundscape also zeroes in on the silence of space, all at once tranquil and suffocating. Amidst the chaos onboard the Renaissance, the comparative quietness of the outside is quite startling despite the looming planetary rings that threaten to obliterate the ship – a silent, creeping death. The director stated that the universally acclaimed Alien: Isolation video game served as a strong influence for Romulus, and it shows, with the atmosphere of the two being very similar, truly accentuating the isolated crew’s immediate peril.

Several stars continue to rise. David Jonsson (in his first film role since the charming romcom Rye Lane) shows the diversity of his acting chops, seamlessly switching between the childlike vulnerability of Andy to the reprogrammed emotionlessness of his upgraded self. Cailee Spaeny’s performance as Rain proves itself an exciting stage of her gradual rise to stardom. And Fede Álvarez further cements himself as one of horror’s hottest directors; when your filmography includes 2013’s Evil Dead, 2016’s Don’t Breathe, and now Alien: Romulus, there’s a pretty strong case to be made that a blank cheque project is well-earnt.

By Joe Muldoon

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