Xenomorph in 20th Century Studios' ALIEN: ROMULUS. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
When Disney purchased FOX’s back catalog of films, I didn’t think that they’d make good use of their new toys.
By taking control of beloved franchises like Planet of the Apes and Predator, the belief was that these titles would either sit on the shelf or worse, create uninteresting sequels. But, somehow, Disney has proven that they can continue these series that were believed to be past their time. After solid films such as Prey and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the streak continues with Alien: Romulus, a film that resurrects the beloved Xenomorph and returns it to its truly horrific roots.
Set in a future where humanity lives under the thumb of the cold-hearted Weyland-Butani corporation, Alien: Romulus follows the journey of Rain (Cailee Spaeny), a young woman struggling to survive with her robotic ‘brother’, Andy (David Jonsson). When the opportunity to presents itself, Rain and Andy join a group of young space colonizers in an attempt to escape their world by scavenging a derelict space station. However, when their plan goes wrong, they find themselves hunted by the Xenomorph, a ‘perfect organism’ that knows only destruction.
Stepping back into the world of Weyland-Butani, Alvarez understands the assignment. While the characters and settings are new, the look and feel of the film stays close to the broken futuristic world established in the original films. While every film has their own philosophical edge, later entries that moved the franchise away from its scariest roots became less successful. But Alvarez keeps the film feeling claustrophobic and chaotic. Beautifully shot and executed, he makes use of almost every scene. Bathing the world in shadows, the light comes primarily from whatever bulb or monitor happens to be flickering in the background. Sound effects editing is layered and beautifully orchestrated. The Xenomorph is left mostly to the shadows but makes its presence felt, even in moments of calm. And, perhaps most surprisingly, the face huggers have never been used more effectively.
This is meant to be a world of horror. And Alien: Romulus earns its moments.
There’s no question that Alvarez is willing to dip his toe into the world of nostalgia. As with any ‘refresh’, the audience has certain expectations of things that they want to see and hear. (Without giving any spoilers, I admit that there was an actual moment where I turned to a friend and gleefully exclaimed, “They said the thing!”) Even so, Alvarez is still willing to push the boundaries of the sandbox that he’s been invited to play in. (Sometimes successfully, other times… less so.)
In terms of its cast, it’s interesting that Alvarez skews far younger than expected. Even so, Spaeny grows into the role as the film progresses, showing signs of being a worthy heir to Weaver’s iconic Ripley. But it’s Jonsson’s performance as Andy that steals the show. For any fan of the franchise, the world of Alien has had its issues with android technology and, coming at a time when A.I. is now a reality, there’s something even more ominous about his characters than those that have come before. As such, Jonsson keeps his character both lovable and feared at the same time.
In this way, there’s a certain sense of urgency behind Romulus.
Perhaps it’s the wider conversations that we’re having in our culture right now but Alien: Romulus simply feels current. Artificial intelligence is carried within the tension of both optimism and threat. Corporate greed seeks to keep workers under the burden of financial dependence. The metaphor of sexual assault that the face huggers have always presented seems even more terrifying here than before. Feminine characters are dismissed by male toxicity, until they take control themselves. None of these themes are new to the world of Alien… but, in today’s society, they seem even more critical. Alvarez knows that these sorts of imagery carry even greater weight in 2024 than they did in 1979 and he explores them while still bringing the gore.
While it remains unclear whether or not Alvarez will have another chance to continue his story, one can’t deny that his first effort is a success. This is a film that understands the world and what makes it truly horrific. But, most importantly, unlike some of the films that have been offered in the post-Ripley era, Alien: Romulus is a scary good time.
Alien: Romulus is available in theatres on Friday, August 16th, 2024.
