‘Alien: Romulus’ Review: Cailee Spaeny Is Compelling in a Flawed but Pulse-Pounding Homage to the Franchise’s Origins

As a longtime fan of the Alien franchise and someone who has spent countless hours dissecting every detail of these iconic films, I must say that Fede Alvarez’s latest offering, Alien: Romulus, is a rollercoaster ride that both thrills and confounds in equal measure.

Ridley Scott’s movies, Prometheus from 2012 and Alien: Covenant from 2018, aimed to change the direction of the franchise, moving away from the absurdity of two Predator remakes. Although these prequels were daringly ambitious, they became too bogged down with mythology and philosophical discussions, which weakened their impact. Director Fede Alvarez wisely chooses to return to the roots of the franchise with Alien: Romulus. This standalone film is set in 2142, between the events of Scott’s timeless 1979 original and Cameron’s equally enduring 1986 sequel. The movie includes numerous references to both films, making certain scenes feel like a tribute or remake.

As a die-hard fan of both Alien and Aliens, I can’t hide my admiration for how Alvarez seamlessly blends elements from these iconic films into his high-octane action-horror masterpiece. While the relentless pace and intense combat scenes resonate more with the pulse-pounding action of Aliens, the oppressive atmosphere of confinement and mounting terror definitely echoes the chilling dread of Alien. The final act takes a turn towards excessive and somewhat absurd horror, but it delivers enough heart-stopping suspense and terrifying jolts to satisfy any xenomorph enthusiast like me.

In the Alien series, alongside the terrifying facehuggers resembling lobsters that transform into deadly creatures with motorcycle fuel tank-like heads, long, gooey extendable jaws, and a disturbing ability to secrete acid, the main antagonist has consistently been ruthless capitalism without compassion. This corporation, Weyland-Yutani, shows no mercy and is ready to sacrifice countless underpaid workers’ lives to attain its valuable goal: using alien lifeforms for biological weapons development. In Alien: Romulus, it’s not even necessary to encounter any xenomorph for the destructive consequences of unregulated capitalism to become lethal.

The film starts on Jackson’s Star, a grimy mining colony that never sees daylight, governed by WY who forces colonists into long-term servitude. One resident, Rain Carradine (played by Cailee Spaeny), has finished her work requirements and wishes to move with her brother Andy (David Jonsson) to a planet with sunlight. However, a harsh clerk tells her that the workload has been increased, and she’ll need to continue working for another five or six years before she can depart.

It quickly becomes clear that Andy is an artificial being, abandoned by the corporation when superior biomechanical humanoids were developed. Rain’s father found him among the trash and reprogrammed him with a single instruction – to always act in Rain’s best interest. Unfortunately, both of her parents contracted lung disease from the mines, a common affliction, and passed away. The tough living conditions, frequent hailstorms, rising temperatures, and recurring new diseases each cycle have led many colonists around Rain’s age to become orphans.

Through this factor, Alvarez and co-writer Rodo Sayagues are able to introduce alien chaos to a cast that is generally younger than the franchise average. This young team consists of Tyler (Archie Renaux), who harbors lingering feelings for Rain; his sister Kay (Isabela Merced), who has concealed her pregnancy; Bjorn (Spike Fearn), a hotheaded individual whose animosity towards Andy is fueled by a synthetic’s involvement in his mother’s demise; and Navarro (Aileen Wu), a resilient tech expert with piloting abilities.

One important takeaway from Scott’s original work seems to be the limited effort put into making each character unique and distinct. However, given that many of these characters don’t last long in the story, it could be that this was intended as a deliberate choice.

Realizing that a deactivated spaceship from World’s End (WY) with active cryopods is drifting nearby, and rumored to have enough fuel for their voyage to the target planet, the team persuades Rain to embark on this escape from Jackson’s Star with them. Additionally, they require the presence of Andy, as he possesses the necessary codes to bypass corporation security.

The swift departure from the oppressive colony aboard a bulky, practical spaceship sparks curiosity. However, the intense sound effects keep viewers engrossed, simulating each metallic clang, jarring vibration, and harsh turbulence as well as the rough landing, stirring a sense of unease in their gut.

Upon their arrival, the group finds that their expected escape vessel is not a ship but a vast space station named Renaissance, divided into two sections known as Romulus and Remus. They learn of the impending danger that the station will collide with the ring system encircling a mining planet within hours, causing its destruction. This urgent situation is emphasized by frequent computer-issued warnings about the remaining time before impact. Despite this, they are optimistic that their stay on the space station will not last longer than half an hour at most.

Of course that’s not the way it goes, with one setback after another before their presence stirs the parasitic facehuggers and sends them skittering in search of a human host. The familiar guessing game of who gets picked off next and how gruesomely is less interesting than Alvarez’s skill at incrementally turning up the tension until it reaches fever pitch and stays there.

Apart from the spine-tingling soundtrack, a significant contribution in that aspect is made by Galo Olivares’ swift camera movements and Benjamin Wallfisch’s high-end horror music, which echoes the tunes of Jerry Goldsmith and James Horner from the initial films.

When the danger is released, there are predictable near-misses, acts of deceit, fearful withdrawals that leave others in peril, and brave moments of valor – most notably displayed by Rain, who assumes a role similar to Ripley. Following her impressive performances in both Priscilla and Civil War, Spaeny delivers a captivating portrayal as the protagonist. She is a character driven by emotions and sensitive, yet also possesses keen technical skills, quick thinking abilities, and robust survival capabilities.

Alvarez introduces significant changes to the xenomorph’s actions, such as slowing down the chest-bursting sequence to intensify the suffering and provide a clearer view of the developing creature. The script also heightens tension by suggesting a method for humans to stay hidden and undetected, and the early inclusion of a gravity-generator that resets periodically hints at an inventive way it might play into future events.

One of the most debated aspects, which might have surprised audiences if not for its prior leak and online discussions, involves the incorporation of an AI-generated voice and facial likeness for Ian Holm’s character, Rook – a synthetic crew member from Romulus who underwent a reboot at Rain’s hands to help them escape a difficult situation. This AI representation was created after Holm’s character suffered an acid bath by aliens.

It’s somewhat surprising that the organization responsible for creating the android character Ash, who was destroyed 20 years ago in the movie Alien, would build another identical model to accomplish their mission. This move could be seen as more of a tribute to fans rather than a necessary decision, and it raises some concerns considering the heated discussions about AI-generated digital copies that took place during last year’s SAG-AFTRA strike regarding ethical issues related to artificial intelligence.

Rook contributes to Andy’s character by introducing contrasting elements, which makes the synthetic’s allegiance ambiguous, fosters sibling discord with Rain, and enables Jonsson (renowned from the HBO series ‘Industry’) to portray a complex character who straddles the line between the seemingly gentle guardian and relentless corporate operative.

The style demonstrated by Alvarez in his remake of ‘Evil Dead’ and the film ‘Don’t Breathe’ is evident once more here, particularly in the intense climaxes involving chaotic monstrosities and unexpected twists. A potentially divisive aspect of this movie lies in its over-the-top ending, which escalates the action but may not surpass its predecessor in quality. This grand finale delves into the realm of hybrid species, a concept that previously produced mixed reactions for director Jean-Pierre Jeunet and writer Joss Whedon in ‘Alien Resurrection’.

A fresh twist on the monster type undeniably increases the discomfort level, yet when this creature emerges from H.R. Giger’s initial concept art, it is a near-perfect specimen, both biologically and in terms of iconic design. Overwhelming modifications are unnecessary for such a masterpiece. The crossbreed mutant is indeed frightening, but it lacks the unique terror that classic xenomorphs instill.

The designs of the creatures often include elements suggesting reproductive imagery, which Alvarez and his team find intriguing in ways that are both entertaining and unsettling. At times, it feels almost as if we’re witnessing a festival dedicated to such imagery. And when a wounded alien creature opens a gaping hole that expels acid globules like projectiles, it’s hard not to see it as a weaponized form of female reproductive organ.

Despite a few questionable decisions and over-the-top scenes, “Alien: Romulus” undeniably delivers chills, causing some viewers to shield their eyes at certain points. A significant asset of the film lies in Alvarez’s effort to revert back to the more practical visual effects that were accessible to Scott in 1979, using digital technology only for minor refinements.

As a devoted fan, I’ve been captivated by the intricate work of production designer Naaman Marshall. On Budapest’s soundstages and extensive backlot expansions, he’s orchestrated what appears to be colossal builds for Jackson’s Star – the ominous dystopian planetoid outpost that sets the stage for our journey. From the rundown transporter that takes us to Renaissance, to the decaying labs, corridors, airlocks, and elevator shafts within the desolate station, the movie benefits immensely from Marshall’s creation of multi-layered environments bathed in disquieting lighting.

Alvarez primarily sticks to fundamental designs for the xenomorphs, blending practical effects like animatronic models, puppetry, real actors in animatronic heads, and CG. These creatures continue to be some of the most genuinely terrifying movie monsters ever created, and the director emphasizes the science fiction/horror genre with a fast-paced film that reminds us why they’ve haunted our imaginations for so long.

2024-08-14 22:27

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