Alien: Romulus
An overly familiar tale told well is better than sitting through Ridley Scott’s philosophy class
Atmospheric and engaging, Alien: Romulus is a return to the classic Alien energy.
Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny) is desperate to get away from the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. Born into a mining colony on Jackson’s Star, she watched her parents work themselves to death on the bleak, polluted planet where no sun can penetrate the smoggy gloom of the sky. The only bright spot in her life is her brother Andy (David Jonsson), a defective Weyland-Yutani android her father pulled from a trash heap and programmed to keep her safe on the unforgiving colony.
Andy is also her only chance of getting off Jackson’s Star. Rain’s ex-boyfriend Tyler (Archie Renaux) approaches her with a deal: Let him and his friends use Andy to communicate with a derelict Weyland-Yutani spaceship and he’ll let her tag along as they use the ship to escape the reach of the corporation.
Gee, what could have left the spaceship empty with no one from the corporation willing to retrieve it?
In space, no one can hear you scream, but as director Ridley Scott discovered, you can still hear everyone on the internet complain. Scott created one of the most enduring horror films of all time with Alien, and then sat back and watched as his brilliant idea was dragged into a cesspool of derivative sequels and horrible crossover franchises. Yes, James Cameron’s Aliens was great, but the rest of the entries in the franchise have taken a nosedive from there.
Scott reclaimed the franchise in 2012 with Prometheus, a high-minded but shoddily executed prequel. Then, he drove the franchise into a brick wall with the appalling Alien: Covenant. Part of the problem was the themes Scott wanted to explore, which were archly discussed and never developed. The ideas of existentialism and humanity he insisted on toying with were a better fit in his other seminal sci-fi work, Blade Runner, but he crammed them into his movies about xenomorphs instead. The result felt like a ponderous lecture from a tenured professor with a drinking problem.
Luckily, Scott wandered off to tinker with another of his beloved films (good luck to everyone in Gladiator 2: Roman Bugaloo) leaving the Alien franchise open for a new interpretation.
Director Fede Alvarez has taken the franchise back to basics: A girl and a synth are trapped in space with an alien threat chasing them down. The plot isn’t the only throwback. Alvarez has restored the look of the franchise to the grimy, rusty aesthetic that made the world feel lived in. The monitors are clunky, the computer graphics are pixelated, and every inch of the film feels like it could have been set on the Nostromo. Alvarez drew heavily from the original two films as well as the excellent Alien: Isolation video game. As a result, the setting and the feel of Alien: Romulus should please most longtime fans.
Prometheus and Alien: Covenant feel like detached philosophical discussions in a college class. Alien: Romulus feels like discussing an issue with people it’s directly affecting.
As a result, Alvarez’s characters are more motivated. Instead of well-groomed scientists discussing the ethics of creation in what looks like an abandoned Apple Store, this prequel is about desperate people who don’t want to die under the filthy boot of a corporation. Because their needs are pressing, the plot isn’t weighed down by ponderous reflection. Alvarez applied Ridley Scott’s philosophy lecture to the realities of a corporate oligarchy.
The characters also feel a bit more based on reality. These are people who have wants and needs. They are afraid and desperate, which makes them suspicious of each other. The result is more tension than Scott’s managed to generate in two prequels.
Spaeny is particularly good as Rain. Her desperation to escape the choking grip of Weyland-Yutani is palpable. She also has a deep love for her brother, though synthetic humans are not popular on Jackson’s Star. Jonsson is also great as Andy and is required to make some drastic changes throughout the story.
Alvarez also thankfully steps away from the CGI and brings back practical effects. This is always an excellent decision, as practical effects age better and give weight to scenes. Watching a Face Hugger skitter across the floor at a person is a visceral experience. Watching someone try to pretend a green tennis ball is coming to kill them never reads as well on screen. Alvarez’s throwback to practical effects is a bit of a two-edged sword, however, because when he uses CGI, it’s noticeable and can pull you out of the moment.
While the movie as a whole is an aesthetic triumph, the plot is less successful. Alvarez relies heavily on callbacks, you’ll see more Face Huggers than you can shake a stick at and there are several setpieces pulled directly from other Alien films. Alvarez’s need to pay homage to the original entries in the franchise derails the plot a few times. There’s a particularly iconic line that should have never been used.
Still, even when the film is stumbling over its own legacy, Alien: Romulus is easily the third-best film in the franchise. It successfully conveys its message and theme, it pays tribute to Scott’s work, and most importantly no one offers to finger a flute.
Verdict: What Alvarez’s vision lacks in originality, it makes up for in style and tension.
Alien: Romulus is rated R and is available in theaters August 16.
