“In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream…” That iconic tagline came from the classic science fiction horror, “Alien.” Released in 1979 by Ridley Scott to an audience who had never experienced this level of cosmic horror, it left a profound effect on the zeitgeist of popular media and film history.
The question then came, how can we follow up an already perfect film? How do we stand on the shoulders of a giant? The answer was James Cameron’s action-packed sequel, “Aliens.” The premise is very simple: if one xenomorph could kill an entire space crew, then what could a whole swarm do to a colony? Cameron somehow took the heights that Scott set in 1979 and elevated it to a whole other level in 1986.
While “Alien” was more concerned with suspense, building narrative, and the terror of the unknown, “Aliens” took that base and coated it with new lore, space marines, and an action-oriented narrative that builds on what was set before.
Ridley Scott then came back in 2012 to casually drop “Prometheus,” a prequel to the series that aims to explain the origins behind the xenomorph and humanity. It does not connect to the series in the most obvious way, which angered many fans who choose to forget it ever even happened.
However, I for one adore what it tried to do. It set out to tell a compelling story on the origins of humanity and our foolish quest as humans to become gods, which it accomplished while adding so much to the lore of this incredible universe.
The most important of the newly added lore is the introduction of the “black goo,” a substance that can alter and mutate life: to either create or destroy life. The big bad company of the Alien Universe, Weyland-Yutani, wants this substance and the secrets of life to achieve their goals of making humanity the perfect organism.
After the disappointment of “Alien: Covenant,” it was time for a change of pace; it was time for a return to the form that made this series so thrilling in the first place: a fear of the unknown.
Enter “Alien: Romulus,” the latest installment in the ever-enduring Alien Franchise, directed by the horror director Fede Álvarez. For the first time in nearly thirty years, we go back to the roots that made this series stellar. The first movie was about space truckers accidentally running into an unknown alien that only wants to kill, and this movie is about a group of struggling space miners aboard a doomed outpost infested with horrors they could never imagine.
“Romulus” has callbacks to nearly everything that came before. The movie begins with the destroyed remnants of the Nostromo, the doomed ship from the first movie. Later, it is said the people on board had captured the original xenomorph and were using its DNA to replicate more face-huggers and conduct more studies.
From there, the sets and vibe of the film is more similar to the videogame “Alien: Isolation,” which I recently played while screaming during every minute of it. Álvarez did his homework with this series to bring the best sequel we have seen in years, and it pays off.
They used mostly practical props and effects, which is a refreshing change from the CGI creatures moviegoers are used to today. This film, more so than any other, just feels gross to watch. The xenomorph itself is amazing to see on a big screen after the CGI in “Covenant.” This creature feels real and terrifying. It’s wet, slimy, sharp and very deadly. Everything a growing alien should be.
Adding to the disgust factor, this is a bloody, bloody, bloody film. Either red blood or acidic blood, the movie is drenched in it. Some scenes are stuck in my head even after weeks. Like acidic blood melting through skin and bone, that gnarly chest-burster scene and that scene at the end when a pregnant character gives birth to an abomination cross between human and xenomorph.
However, it is not all blood and guts, there are also plenty of action-packed moments reminiscent of “Aliens.” The most obvious comparison is the zero-gravity turret scene: the main character uses the ship’s zero gravity to her advantage to blast away hordes of aliens.
On top of that, this movie also adds so much more to the lore while connecting everything that has come before. The premise behind why this outpost was created was to extract the “black goo” from the xenomorphs to better understand the “perfect organism,” which ties directly to “Prometheus” and finally elaborates fully on what this mysterious substance is and why Weyland-Yutani wants it.
Of course, none of these would mean anything without an equal quality in filmmaking, which this movie has in spades. Álvarez, coming off of two “Evil Dead” movies, incorporates dynamic and chaotic cinematography to sell the horrific state the characters are in. The camera is constantly moving, and we have to catch up.
All in all, “Alien: Romulus” is a fantastic movie and a solid entry into this franchise. It offers something new while having a pretty bow on top to tie everything that has come before.