ALIEN v ALIEN: ROMULUS; Is this new franchise entry refreshing or repulsive?

In a world of regurgitated runaway sequels, Alien: Romulus comes as a breath of fresh air to a franchise otherwise suffering from repetitive and uninspired ideas. Alex De Paulis Reviews

Alien: Romulus, the newest addition to the renowned Alien franchise by Uruguayan horror and thriller director Fede Alvarez is another great entry into both Alvarez’s filmography and the Alien franchise.

Alvarez is most known for the sleeper hit Don’t Breathe (2016), a horror movie that is as innovative as it is terrifying, and has continued his legacy with a franchise sequel that breaks the curse of stale rip-offs we’ve all come to expect of franchise installments. Alien: Romulus is an example of a franchise sequel/prequel done right; A blast from the past with touches from the future, the quality of which Alien: Romulus draws from its understanding of its essence: The original 1979 classic, Alien.

Put simply, there are science fiction films before Alien, and then there are science fiction films after Alien. It redefined the boundaries of the genre to embrace horror in such a previously unseen and realistic way. Directed by a young Ridley Scott, it is a seminal film in the pantheon of science fiction films. The influence of this film cannot be overstated; It made the bold choice of establishing Sigourney Weaver as a strong leading actress, not just a generic “scream Queen” actress that was popular amongst many science fiction horror films of the 60s and 70s, creating an unforgettable character that redefined women’s role in action movies.

In both Alien and Alien: Romulus, the characters are fighting not only a human-killing alien monster, but the machinations of the greedy Weyland-Yutani corporation who often jeopardise the lives of the protagonists, ‘all in the name of science!’ This, in turn, leads to the many gruesome deaths in both films. Interestingly, in the first Alien, the protagonists were grizzled and experienced employees of the Weyland-Yutani corporation who take time out of their busy mining schedule to visit the source of a distress signal on a seemingly deserted planet. However, in Alien: Romulus, the protagonists are disaffected youths who have grown up in a mining colony and are looking for a way out. This comes in the form of an abandoned Weyland-Yutani space vessel that could provide them a way out of their bleak planet. This symbolic difference allows for enough room to breathe from all the heavy nostalgia whilst still respecting the source material.

In Alien (1979), we get a chance to see the believable friendships and bonds between the people on the spaceship before many of them die spectacularly brutal deaths. This really helps to make the deaths that much more gut wrenching. Alien: Romulus does the same thing by establishing the relationships of this tight knit group of friends, providing tension with interesting feuds and grudges which help to drive the story along. This tension also was also present in the original Alien, with many of the employees fighting over how to best deal with the unknown alien problem.

To me personally, Alien: Romulus felt more like a haunted house movie where the teenagers are trapped and looking for a way out whilst they’re being picked off one by one. Viewers will be going into the film expecting at least some onscreen deaths but won’t find many. It’s also home to a fair share of cheesiness; Some of the deaths seem like they could’ve been avoided had the protagonists been a bit more proactive, showing Alien: Romulus still trips over the same faults as other horror films. This differs slightly from the original film which is more of a slow burn thriller with astounding visuals and is less reliant on jump scares. Alien managed to create an atmosphere that frightened through the unknown and utilised its technological limitations to its advantage, keeping the monster just out of sight and creating a deep dread.

Alien: Romulus is both adrenaline filled and intensely frightening, yet, the pacing kept me guessing at every turn and I was emotionally invested in the cast. Cailee Spaeny was a great casting choice. You may know her for having played Priscilla Presley in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla. I liked the fact that she was a strong protagonist with physicality and presence, without a forced and manufactured “grizzled toughness” that you see in many films. I thought her characterisation was very similar to Sigourney Weaver’s iconic Ripley in the original: Both characters are initially reluctant, but knowing they have something to fight for, start serving up an extra-terrestrial ass kicking. Making these ETs wanna “phone home” and get their mum to come pick them up. The film is very graphic though so don’t have too big of a meal before watching it.

Sigourney Weaver, left, as Ellan Ripley in Alien 1979. Cailee Spaeny honours Weaver's legacy admirably.

Also, quick side note: one small thing that distracted me in the movie was the fact that Cailee Spaeny’s character wore Reeboks. I thought, “Reeboks in outer space, no way”. But then I did some digging and turns out Sigourney Weaver wore a pair of “Alien Stomper” Reeboks in James Cameron’s Aliens (1986). That doesn’t really excuse the nonsense of it all, but I realise it was a nice way to pay homage to the early parts of the Alien franchise.

But, do you need to watch the whole franchise beforehand?

No, you don’t need to have a detailed knowledge of the Alien franchise to enjoy Alien: Romulus. Although, a viewing of the original may be a good idea just for pure enjoyment. Alien: Romulus supposedly takes place after the events of the original Alien (1979) but before the events of Aliens (1986). There are a few things that my friends pointed out to me that were references to the original, but besides it being a sequel/prequel (which may be slightly confusing), having watched all of the franchise doesn’t really matter. My vocabulary of the Alien films was pretty much just the chestburster scene, the alien that latches onto your face and Sigourney Weaver. What‘s great is that this new film benefits from mystery. The protagonists don’t have any more idea what’s happening on the abandoned vessel, Romulus, than the audience. This is very similar to the first film where the characters learn more about how the aliens function and behave as the movie goes along. But any aspects of the film that do require explanation, the writer and director Fede Alvarez does a great job in comprehensively crafting the human’s world as well as the story behind the aliens.

Overall, both the original Alien and Alien: Romulus are great films from talented directors. They both provide the audience with something they’ve never seen before and if you’ve heard anything about a mind blowing ending in Alien Romulus, you will not be disappointed. The ending is memorable to say the least. Of course Alien: Romulus, a legacy sequel can’t succeed in eclipsing the importance and spectacle of the original. But it is a really fun time at the movies, that both respects its predecessors whilst also providing something entertaining and innovative to a younger demographic of cinema goers.

 I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Good watch.