For almost 45 years, the “Alien” franchise has consistently provided opportunities for new auteur filmmakers to take their crack at a new iteration. Like many of these IPs that far outlast their humble beginnings, they are populated by extremes; the highest of highs and the lowest of lows that all vary wildly depending on which aspects of the lore or style you enjoy the most. Its longevity is in the malleable DNA of its purist form, allowing each new (or old for that matter) voice to constantly innovate and expand however they see fit. Sometimes it works to perfection like “Aliens,” other times it crashes and burns horribly like “Prometheus.” One could make the argument that these two films should be swapped in terms of how I’ve just labeled them, and that only serves as a testament to just how varied the series has been.
“Alien: Romulus” is a little bit of everything for everyone, attempting to blend the minimalist, retro aesthetic of “Alien” and “Aliens” with the philosophical examinations of existence of “Prometheus” and “Alien: Covenant,” all while attempting to reimagine the bold ambitions – and ultimately misfires – of “Alien 3” and “Alien Resurrection.” Fede Álvarez (“Evil Dead,” “Don’t Breath“) works overtime to incorporate as much as he possibly can from nearly every iteration that came before it, and for most of the film, succeeds. Álvarez manages to tell a familiar story with a new voice, all while paying homage to the things that laid the groundwork for his vision. “Alien: Romulus” feels fresh even if it doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to the table, and works best when it is creating a hybrid of nostalgia and dread like the first two entires. Where it loses its way is when it forcibly commits the follies of pointless exposition that tie it to “Prometheus,” a move that feels less like Álvarez’ voice and more like Ridley Scott serving as an executive producer and demanding his precious mess of a movie get needlessly included.
Chronologically, “Alien: Romulus” takes place between “Alien” and “Aliens,” and the stellar late 70s production design paired with its callback shoot em up action set pieces make it feel right at home between these two films. You don’t actually need to watch any of the previous films to understand “Romulus,” but that’s only when it is at its best. That best – which is the highest of highs – is in the first two acts, which focuses on a group of young rebels stuck on a mining colony in which the company is quite literally working them to death with no escape. The ragtag crew discover a derelict space station floating aimlessly just above their planet, and decide to take their small cruiser to hijack the cryo-chambers to carry them off world to a better place. Of course, any space station owned and operated by Weyland Yutani and the company is bad news, and the group soon discover that they are not alone. Something sinister lurks in the shadows, and what was supposed to be a quick smash and grab becomes a fight for survival. The film stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Isabela Merced, Archie Renaux Aileen Yu and and Spike Fern.
When it is primarily concerned with claustrophobic spaces, shadows moving in the dark, red lighting, piercing sound design and terrifying silence before the impending doom, “Alien: Romulus” rules. Álvarez is a master of dread, leaning heavily on practical sets and effects to maximize the film’s gripping terror. We spend a lot of time meeting the characters who, outside of Spaeny’s Rain and her synthetic brother Andy (Jonsson) are really just stand in archetypes for Xenomorph canon fodder. Who they are doesn’t matter as much as the terrifying situations they find themselves in, and Alvarez fills nearly every frame of “Romulus” with immaculate design. It is a breath of fresh air to see a film that feels like a film, one that doesn’t have that abysmal digital sheen that has permeated every single movie in the last 10 years. for 90 minutes, “Romulus” thrives in its visuals, and while some of its homages are a bit on the nose, it manages to use them as an advantage to ratchet up the tension with each new horrifying scenario the characters find themselves in.
Spaeny is having a hell of a run right now, and while she is meant to be the Ripley stand in for “Romulus” she does a good job in making the character her own. The rest of the cast are indistinguishable, existing solely to perish in brutal and bloody ways at the hands of face huggers and xenomorphs. That is, except for Jonsson, who runs circles around everyone in every single moment. I adored him in “Rye Lane,” and “Romulus” is the kind of star making performance that, were it in a genre that actually gets recognition for performances, would launch him into the stratosphere. He is asked to do far more than anyone else in “Romulus,” and ends up being the crux of the film and strangely the only one with any real character. Spaeny is good, but Jonsson is great, and “Romulus” simply doesn’t work without his excellence.
“Alien: Romulus” is 119 minutes, and I have only complimented 90 minutes of that runtime, which leaves the last 20-25 minutes to discuss. I won’t spoil exactly where things go off the rails, but there is a pivotal moment that is so distinct you can’t miss it. The turn is drastic and frankly stupid, particularly for a film that has spent a large part borrowing many of the best parts of its predecessors. “Romulus” veers off in a completely different direction than what we are led to believe, and instead of finishing strong, borrows from some of the worst ideas from some of the worst entries. I don’t know if Álvarez was feeling himself a bit too much and wanted to take on all challenges, but his reimagined conclusions didn’t work before and it is hubris to think that they would work here. They don’t, and “Romulus” goes off the rails big time, swinging wildly and hitting nothing but air. It misses so hard that it forces a retrospection of some things that weren’t working in the first 90 minutes but you could excuse because everything else around it was so engaging and entertaining.
All of the callbacks and silly “Prometheus” mumbo jumbo (if you can’t tell, I hate this movie) that were easily dismissed previously come back to taint the highs once “Romulus” reaches its end and reveals itself to be more of a greatest hits album than an inventive, refreshing thriller. Highest of highs and lowest of lows collide like spaceships against an asteroid, and because its the last note you’re left on, it leaves a very bad taste in your mouth. I wish so much that this wasn’t the case, because there is so much to like in “Alien: Romulus.” When it’s working, it rips with white knuckle tension and pushes you to the edge of your seat. It is bloody, gory, exciting, and anchored by an incredible performance from Jonsson. It knows that the best trick is keeping the alien out of sight until absolutely necessary. It knows that what we can’t see is far more terrifying than what we can shine a light on. “Romulus” knows that the best way to bring something to life is to make it for real, and the practicality of almost everything is a vast improvement over some of the poorly rendered, earlier CGI attempts.
But the unraveling in its final moments are just too big to ignore, and knocks “Alien: Romulus” down quite a few pegs from the greatness it could achieve. It is still better than most, one of the better entries we’ve gotten in recent years. It’s a film that needs to be saved from itself, a folly of ambition, attachment, and reimagining of the wrong things despite being surrounded by so many right ones. “Romulus” thrills and chills, but whiffs when it swings big and smashes some of its better momentum in the process. Álvarez has the juice, and I hope whatever comes next after “Alien: Romulus” abandons some of the worst tendencies – namely any connective tissue to “Prometheus” and whatever the hell that ending was – and settles into the basics of the franchise that he demonstrates he can do very, very, well.
More David Jonsson in movies, please.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
“Alien: Romulus” is now playing in theaters. You can watch the trailer below.
