‘Alien: Romulus’ a return to glory

Almost half a century has passed since a xenomorph hunted down the last survivors of the Nostromo. With its unique design, a horror icon was birthed and spawned sequel after sequel, each to varying degrees of success and quality. The new film is the latest attempt, but where its predecessors made strides in standing out, Alien: Romulus often feels like a greatest hits album.

The story goes about how you might expect. A group of travellers in the desolation of space fight to survive an expedition gone wrong. Their plan is to take hold of an abandoned ship and flee. Romulus offers characters whose only crime in striving for a better life, making it matter when their lives are threatened.

When the threat emerges, it’s a bit like going through the motions. The life cycle of the alien plays out as it has time and time again, but this time the audience knows what to expect. What once was a slow burn evolves into a frenzied fright fest. The characters are none the wiser, but unfortunately for them, they are subject to some of the most vicious forms of an iconic creature.

Some sequences in Alien: Romulus are breathtaking. The otherworldly terror of the alien is presented in nightmare scenarios that feel hopeless. Where the film misses is the out-of-place references to the previous iterations that grind the film to a screeching halt. Romulus takes out time to act as a spiritual sequel to each film, suffering a mismatched tone as a result.

Design-wise, Alien: Romulus is a winner. It is also extremely well shot, finding beauty in a monstrous situation. It’s paced expertly, taking its time to develop its characters, before plunging them into one terrible situation after the next forcing its protagonists to confront their worst selves and find a way to preserve their humanity when facing off with a monster.

At the very least, Alien: Romulus is a thrill ride that keeps up the tension and gives you characters you want to see win the day. Despite its failings, Alien: Romulus is leaps and bounds beyond the series’ worst, and firmly sits among the best in the franchise.

Rating: Half Price

Damian Levy is a film critic and podcaster for Damian Michael Movies