Home  >  movie reviews

Alien: Romulus (2024)

A close-up of an alien creature from the film “Alien: Romulus,” showcasing its menacing, metallic teeth and dripping saliva. The creature’s open mouth reveals an inner set of sharp teeth, emphasizing its terrifying and predatory nature. The image is dark, with only the creature’s face illuminated, highlighting its eerie and ominous presence.

Yes! We have another addition to the Alien series of movies that started back in 1979. This is the fifth installment (unless you count Prometheus, which is contentious). It was initially going to release on the streaming service Hulu. But fortunately, it was changed to a cinema release.

In Alien: Romulus, a crew of explorers uncovers a dark secret onboard a derelict space station. Of course, if you’ve watched previous Alien movies, you’ll know what that secret is and the way in which the crew will have to fight for their lives while trying to orient themselves to the station that they have never visited before. It’s also worth noting that this episode is set between the original Alien movie and Aliens, the second movie.

Romulus has the same atmospheric and claustrophobic setting as other Alien movies. And there is lots of intense suspense, with the occasional jump scare that will have you levitating from your seat. The creatures are both visually stunning and scary. And there are strong performances from the cast. Cailee Spaeny is very good as Rain, and David Jonsson is brilliant as Andy, Rain’s personal android robot. His subtle facial and body movements are convincing in persuading us that he is almost human, but not quite. And the special effects, which are often practical rather than CGI (although there is a bit of CGI here and there), are very effective.

There are a few issues: Some of the plot elements are predicable, and the director has relied heavily on familiar horror tropes. During the middle act, there are some pacing issues, and the character development of the characters could have been deeper.

Having said that, Romulus is a thrilling ride, particularly if you are a fan of the Alien franchise or if you are just a horror fan. While the movie doesn’t break new ground, it does deliver on its promise of some intense scares and a chilling atmosphere. And there is plenty of graphic violence and disturbing imagery in this one, so I’d definitely recommend it only for mature audiences.

***½