Alien fans have had a rough go of it for the past, well…few decades. There were the lows of the ’90s and ’00s, followed by Ridley Scott attempting to do something new with his franchise with Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, to deeply mixed results. Now, though, director Fede Álvarez (Don’t Breathe, The Evil Dead 2013) is returning to the franchise with Alien: Romulus, and it appears that this newest entry is poised to return the Alien franchise to its former heights.
As noted in this week’s news roundup, while Deadpool & Wolverine continues its box office dominance, Alien: Romulus is set to be the next movie under the Disney umbrella to become a possible juggernaut. Predictions are putting it at a $75 million opening weekend ($40 million domestic, $35 million international), which is a monster opening for an R-rated, hard horror movie. It’s thanks to that strong horror angle that audiences – and critics – are buzzing. Currently, it’s the best-reviewed alien movie since 1986’s Aliens thanks to a return to the franchise’s claustrophobic, sci-fi horror roots rather than getting bogged down in the lore as the past few movies have.
Read on to find out what critics are saying.
Kate Sánchez of But Why Tho? has praise for the movie’s chilling visual effects, particularly for the xenomorphs:
“Sleek, disgusting, and vicious, these iterations of the iconic xenomorphs use their bodies to maximum effect, with a finale that you’ll have to fight not to see when you close your eyes. From creature designs to a stunning soundscape that twists the tension tighter and tighter, Fede Alvarez has put horror first. With well-timed and intelligently designed jump scares, Alvarez keeps you on the edge of your seat, all accelerated by the creaking abandoned station.”
Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting is also a huge fan of the tactile, practical horror:
“The filmmaker’s steadfast commitment to handling as much practically as possible means a breathtaking level of scale and no shortage of impressive set pieces to terrorize the young cast. The sheer scope of the practical sets look and feel like Aliens brought into the now, with each new section of the ship distinct from the last. Each new room unlocks a different variety of terror, too, with the group dodging everything from hordes of Facehuggers, Xenomorph attacks, and a particularly inspired use of zero gravity. The latter further speaks to Alvarez’s keen ability to add a tactile quality to the cinematics; the swooping camerawork ensures you feel the weightlessness. Even the effective sound design, right down to the dripping of water, lends to the film’s immersive quality.”
The Daily Beast‘s Nick Schager appreciates how it nods to the past while offering a way forward for the beleaguered franchise:
“Ultimately, the most surprising thing about Alien: Romulus is that, with its climactic creature, it finds a way to subtly tip its cap to Scott’s underrated prequels Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, with which it shares an abiding fascination with androids, here embodied by a scene-stealing Jonsson. Álvarez’s contribution to this sci-fi saga doesn’t buck convention so much as lean into the elements that have long made the franchise a standard-bearer. However, despite its somewhat limited ambition, it gets its scream-worthy job done, and in its homage-y closing notes, it also suggests a promisingly perilous path forward.”
Graeme Guttmann of Screen Rant acknowledges Romulus’ limitations but loves it for what it is:
“A third act twist, one that is sure to delight Prometheus lovers (of which I am one), results in a gnarly birth scene and a classic monster chase that feels both of its franchise and a new, uglier version of Alien. While thematically light compared to previous entries, Romulus is a damn good time, a collision of what made the Alien movies great and what made the new prequels so divisive.”
MovieFreak‘s Sara Michelle Fetters appreciates the solid acting among the horror house fare:
“Featuring state-of-the-art visuals, stupendous practical effects, excellent gore, and two strong performances from Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson, there’s much here to celebrate. More importantly, as a straightforward monster-in-a-haunted-house variation with an exceptionally high body count, Alvarez’s endeavor tends to be a lot of suitably nasty fun.”
There you have it. While Alien: Romulus may not be a philosophically or thematically complex as the past few Alien movies, it’s a hell of a good time that returns the franchise to its spiritual roots and promises a new beginning. Count us in.
