Certification. 15
Running Time. 1 hour 59 mins
Director. Fede Álvarez
Cast. Spike Fearn, David Jonsson, Isabela Merced, Archie Renault, Cailee Spaeny, Aileen Wu.
Rating. 65%
“In space, no one can hear you scream.”
From this genre-defining starting point, exactly how did studio executives establish one of the most commercially successful science-fiction horror franchises of all time? The early sequels used up-and-coming directors to take a tilt at extending the franchise - Aliens was directed by James Cameron, fresh from his sophomore feature, The Terminator; Alien 3 was directed by a then-unknown music video director, David Fincher; and, Alien Resurrection was directed by French filmmaker, Jean-Pierre Jeunet following the success of critically acclaimed films such as Delicatessen and The City Of Lost Children. These directors re-invented and re-interpreted, in essence, the same theme with ultimately diminishing returns.
2024's Alien: Romulus, would appear to adopt the same modus operandi. Directed by Uruguayan director Fede Álvarez, known for films such as Don't Breathe and The Girl In The Spider's Web, Alien: Romulus is a standalone narrative that takes place between the events of Alien and Aliens. The increasingly impressive Cailee Spaeny heads a fresh-faced cast in a propulsive science-fiction horror, which favours gruesome horror over character development and storyline.
Ridley Scott’s Alien assembled a motley crew of experienced character actors aboard the commercial cargo ship, the Nostromo. Allegiances and rivalries were established. Gripes and grudges over rank, class and pay made the cast three-dimensional and the subsequent grisly fates packed an emotional punch. Aliens replaced that crew with battle-hardened marines, again jostling with each other to maintain a pecking order. There is none of this depth in Alien: Romulus, instead, ill-defined characters operate from a lacklustre script.
In addition, the decision to digitally recreate the deceased actor Ian Holm to restore an integral character from Scott's Alien was a staggering miscalculation on multiple levels. Not only was I uncomfortable with the digital necrophilia employed but wondered whether the inclusion actually added anything of value to the film. In Alien, Ian Holm played Science Officer Rook, and having the same actor appear as a similar character in Alien: Romulus removes any element of suspense as to the character's motivations.
Whilst the trailer for Alien: Romulus promised much, the end result isn't any better than previous sequels and in an attempt to pay tribute to its predecessors, Alien: Romulus is often weighed down by forced eye-rolling nostalgia. The first two films remain the finest in the franchise.
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