Nerds That Geek Movie Review – ‘Alien: Romulus’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(L-R): Cailee Spaeny as Rain Carradine and David Jonsson as Andy in 20th Century Studios' ALIEN: ROMULUS. Photo by Murray Close. © 2024 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Alien Romulus’.
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It is definitely safe to say that popular Alien franchise has dealt with a great deal of disappointment in the 21st Century. After all, the Alien vs. Predator films were not well received and there was some reticence and blowback over how Prometheus and Alien: Covenant didn’t seem to quite fit into the franchise. After all, they truly do have a different feel and look to them, and what they explore and ponder upon from a deeper standpoint is very different from what we came to love about the original films. Giving rise to stories that yes, are in the spirit of the saga, but are missing something that truly allows for the audience to connect with them, and it is hard to feel as though they belong within the framework of the saga.

All of which has left fans wondering… if the franchise has simply run out of steam. As though there’s no way to make the saga intense and terrifying any longer and that origin stories and greater expansion of the mythos are what lie ahead. But thankfully, those thoughts are unfounded. Because the latest entry in the saga showcases how a little care and a love for the franchise, combined with some bold and fresh ideas, can in fact produce a great Alien feature and that makes Alien: Romulus, quite the important entry in the franchise. For it is the one that accomplishes those exact feats by way of one magnificent plot and the perfect setting in which to make the xenomorph a titan of terror again.

All by transporting us to the Weyland-Yutani colony of Jackson’s Star. A mucky, unpleasant place without the wonder of the sun and in this place is an orphan colonist named Rain Carradine. Who dreams of seeing the sun away from this place with her adopted android brother, Andy. But alas, despite having the credentials to be released from her work contract, she is tasked with staying longer on a godforsaken rock. A sad reality that prompts her to go along with a bold plan her friends have come up with. For they have discovered a decommissioned WeYu space station in orbit, and if by chance Andy can get them inside of it, they can steal the cryopods aboard and leave Jackson’s Star post haste and never deal with the Company again. A plan that seemingly goes off without a hitch once executed, until this group of desperate folks come to learn… that the station isn’t decommissioned but adrift. For something awful has happened aboard this station, and the entity responsible for it has been awakened by their arrival.

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All of which… brings back the two key tenets that fans love about this franchise. For that truly builds tension, that eventually leads to some amazing and inventive scares. The kind that truly immerse the viewer and engage them and of course, leave them as unsettled as they were when Ripley battled the xeno on the Nostromo in the original film and that is refreshing to enjoy, as is another unique storytelling choice from director Fede Alavarez. In that, in many ways he does offer grand homages to the franchise through and through, all corners of it in fact, since there are even echoes of Alien: Isolation in the story and that makes for an enriching experience that truly is a lovely blend of old and new and the wonder of this film goes beyond the scares and the lovely shoutouts to the best parts of the series.
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In that, this is at long last, the all-important bridge feature. Because so many have been concerned and upset about how in many ways, the franchise features two different tones. For the Ripley films lean deep into horror and tension, and outright action. Whereas the prequels are grounded deeply in the Engineer’sorigins and exploration revolving around how humanity’s arrogance led to the monstrous grandchildren that are the xenomorphs, all because they chose to play God with synthetics. But here, Alavarez has managed to bring the mythos into the fold in a manner that works, and in the process, explain why Weyland-Yutani is so obsessed with having the xenomorph in its hands and that beautiful blending of the two phases of the franchise finally makes the saga feel complete, and organic in nature and that’s just incredible filmmaking to say the least.

Which means, this is nothing short of a masterpiece, really. Because it is no easy feat to bring so much together under the structure of one motion picture. But Fede Alvarez makes it look easy here, and in the process, creates a worthy and delightful sci-fi/horror feature. One that truly harkens back to the wonder of where this saga began and sets the stage for unique places it could go. For what was introduced here is a big deal and still out there and well, all of these elements make this a must-see feature. Simply because it injects new life into the franchise and truly reminds us why we love it so, courtesy of a great script, a great cast, some masterful direction and wondrous surprises that showcase, there’s still life to be found in the saga, and a few fresh voices can certainly take it to new heights.

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