Reeder’s Movie Reviews: Alien: Romulus

One of the most influential science fiction horror films of all time, Alien had its world premiere on May 25, 1979 as the opening night feature of the fourth Seattle International Film Festival (which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary this past spring). Although not universally acclaimed at the time, it has since become a kind of cult classic, as well as a calling card for a substantial franchise. Predatory life forms in outer space never really die–at least not on the big screen.

The original director, Sir Ridley Scott, who has since made two other entries in the series, returns here as a producer. Uruguayan-born Fede Álvarez (Don’t Breathe, Evil Dead) assumes the directorial reins, with decidedly mixed results.

When considering the entire arc of the Alien franchise, two characters and the actors who played them come immediately to mind: Sigourney Weaver (Ellen Ripley) in the first four installments and Michael Fassbender (David 8/Walter One) when Prometheus ventured into Alien territory and spawned a pair of crossover hits. In Ripley, the modern cinema has a female protagonist emblematic of courage and resourcefulness. In David 8/Walter One, the blockbuster world has a character with angst and gravitas worthy of storytelling on an epic scale.

Alien: Romulus qualifies as an interquel, given that its story plays out in the 57-year time frame between the original movie and its first sequel, Aliens (1986). A group of young characters destined to work indefinitely on a daylight-free mining colony planet decide to make a break from the ubiquitous “Company” and go scavenging at an abandoned space station. It bears the name Romulus/Remus, borne of its two distinct halves. As they discover, it’s a kind of tomb, and it’s a convenient, DNA-rich setting for an Agatha Christie-meets-H.P. Lovecraft narrative.

It will come as no surprise to you that the iconic Xenomorph of the Alien series returns. In fact, so does a certain android science officer from the very first picture, with the late actor in question resurrected by means of animatronics, digital wizardry and AI-generated audio. You can imagine why so many living actors are so worried about having their likenesses co-opted by technology.

Cailee Spaeny heads the cast as Rain. She justifiably earned praise for her portrayal of Priscilla Presley (Elvis’ wife) in last year’s biopic Priscilla, as well as Jessie (an aspiring photojournalist) in this year’s dystopian thriller Civil War. She has impressive range as a performer, and she makes the most of pretty thin material here. In Alien: Romulus, David Jonsson (Industry) plays her character’s android “brother” Andy, who shares a potentially dangerous link to the crew of the doomed spacecraft Nostromo. You might also recall him from a couple of guest appearances on the outstanding British detective series Endeavour, shown in this country on PBS Masterpiece.

Fede Álvarez serves as executive producer, director and co-writer here. Working with Ridley Scott’s guidance, he does get a lot right about the Alien story. He suitably frames most of the scenes to emphasize the confined spaces and pervasive dread in this tale, alternating between a relatively objective, quasi-documentary style and tight, disconcerting POV shots. And he and Mexican cinematographer Galo Olivares impart an appropriately noirish look to the proceedings. You can add to that the use of practical effects, physical stunts and discreet use of CGI.

However, not all Alien pictures are created equal. The same lighting and cinematography that work so well with the mood also make many of the sets look cheap and artificial. The story is shallow and predictable; the characters themselves are not particularly interesting; the dialogue is borderline generic; and, as a result, the acting by this promising young cast is not memorable. (To be fair, there are really effective moments when Álvarez lets facial expressions and silence speak volumes.) In the end, only Spaeny rises above the gotchas and gore galore.  

Even if you haven’t seen the first picture in the franchise, or any of its sequels, you can still watch Alien: Romulus as its own stand-alone universe. It resonates with shades of Ridley Scott and Stanley Kubrick, Agatha Christie, H.P. Lovecraft–necromancy, anyone?–and Francis Ford Coppola. It will scare you at times, but not surprise you. We’ve seen most of this before, with more nightmarish effect.