By Pavethran Batmanathen
Similar to the original Alien from 1979, Alien: Romulus strips away any excess and sticks to its core purpose. It follows a “haunted house” plot, where the characters can’t escape until they eliminate the unkillable creature. Like the first film, writer-director Fede Álvarez and executive producer Ridley Scott have opted to cast young, relatively unknown actors.
We’ve seen them before in films like Aftersun, Sicario 2, and Morbius. And let’s not forget Cailee Spaney, who’s having an impressive year with roles in Priscilla, Civil War, and now as Rain in Alien: Romulus.
Set between the original Alien and Aliens, Romulus takes place about 60 years later on a bleak, mining-colony planet. Rain and her friends plan to escape by stealing a pod from a nearby abandoned space-station. But when they arrive at Romulus, they uncover the reason for its emptiness: something has overrun it, causing chaos and killing everyone. Unlike us, Rain and her friends don’t have decades of Alien films to clue them in.
Among the crew is Rain’s best friend and guardian synthetic, Andy. Synthetics are a staple in the Alien series, usually created by the ruthless Weyland-Yutani Corporation for their ships. They’re often morally complex, with Ash from the first film being a prime example. So, it’s surprising when they find Romulus’ damaged synthetic, Root, who looks exactly like Ash. It’s as if Ian Holm hasn’t aged at all.
Since Sir Ian passed away a few years ago, it’s clear that an AI is now taking the reins, much to the dismay of many Alien fans who think this is pushing things too far. Personally, I think it’s a good move. Root, like his predecessor, is ready to sacrifice humans for business and even corrupt Rain’s innocent synthetic, Andy. Andy’s line, “I have a new prime objective now,” is one of the most chilling robot lines.
What makes Alien: Romulus so gripping is its tactile realism. The sets are mostly practical, featuring rusty walls, constant dripping water, and ominous sounds closing in. When whatever’s lurking in the water makes its first appearance, its impact is very real.
The film keeps the audience’s attention with just enough added complications before H.R. Giger’s terrifying creation shows up. Compared to the slightly unfocused recent Alien films, Romulus is largely seen as a frightening success, despite a few reservations about its AI character.
My main critique is that it felt a bit too long, with one plot twist too many before reaching a satisfying conclusion. Alien films are usually most effective when they focus on one terrifying entity on a haunted spaceship. More aliens, no matter how gruesome, can dilute the fear factor.
Still, Fede Álvarez has proven to be the right director to bring the fear back to Alien: Romulus, blending classic elements with a fresh approach that feels like a standalone film.
