London – With the atmospherically dense science fiction shocker “Alien,” Ridley Scott achieved a milestone in the genre in 1979. Action specialist James Cameron delivered the spectacular sequel “Aliens – The Return” in 1986. Four more “Alien” films followed, but the first two remain unmatched. Now, the seventh film in the series is hitting theaters. “Alien: Romulus” is set chronologically between the two cult works.
Ridley Scott as Producer
After the master Ridley Scott directed the films “Prometheus – Dark Signs” (2012) and “Alien: Covenant” (2017) – both of which tell the prequel story – he handed over the direction to Uruguayan Fede Alvarez. However, Scott continued to actively accompany the entire film production process as a producer.
“Ridley was involved all the time,” emphasized Alvarez in an interview with the German Press Agency in London. “It’s an absolute privilege for me. I’m always looking forward to the next time I meet him and talk to him because he is a master of his craft. For me as a director, it’s like a year of film school in one hour.”
Alvarez was one year old when “Alien – The Uncanny Creature from a Foreign World” (title of the German premiere) hit theaters, establishing Sigourney Weaver as the action hero Ripley.
Memories of the Spaceship Nostromo
In “Alien: Romulus,” Ripley does not appear. The story revolves around a group of disillusioned young people who want to escape their joyless existence as miners in a colony. On an abandoned space station, the group led by Tyler (Archie Renaux) hopes to find a few hypersleep pods to embark on the long journey to a distant planet and start a new life there.
For their illegal trip to the Romulus station, Tyler recruits, among others, the orphan Rain (Cailee Spaeny) and her “brother” Andy (David Jonsson). Andy is an android programmed by Rain’s father to protect her. Tyler hopes that friendly Andy can open some security doors on the station. But some rooms would have been better left locked.
Once they arrive at the top, the intruders discover that scientists on the Romulus station have cultivated something. Soon, Tyler and company understand why there are no human survivors. They are aliens that soon begin hunting the young people. The terrible events on the Nostromo, the spaceship from the first film, which is briefly seen here, are repeated.
Proven Concept with New Ideas
Filmmaker Fede Alvarez gathered horror experience as the writer and director of “Evil Dead” and “Don’t Breathe,” and directed the little-noticed Stieg Larsson film “Conspiracy” in 2018. With “Alien: Romulus,” he relies on the proven concept of the first film while enriching it with original new ideas. A scene in which Rain navigates through a weightless room full of alien acid is among the thrilling highlights.
Originally, Alvarez only intended to lean his film on the first installment. “But over time and ambition, it became bigger and ultimately more like a combination of the first and second films,” said Alvarez, who also exchanged approaches with “Aliens” director Cameron.
“His attitude was: ‘The first film doesn’t concern me, I’ll show you how it’s done.’ He approached it with arrogance and courage, that’s the only way to do it. You have to approach it with that mindset because fear is the enemy of creativity. If you’re worried and trying to please everyone, you won’t do a good job.”
Familiar Elements in Visuals and Music
“Alien: Romulus” fascinates with a quasi retro-futuristic look that consistently follows the not-so-modern appearance of 1979 without seeming antiquated. Even 80s sneakers fit right in. The sets and the aliens continue to be based on the designs of HR Giger, who passed away in 2014 and won an Oscar for “Alien” with his team.
Composer Benjamin Wallfisch has skillfully incorporated elements from earlier soundtracks of his legendary predecessors Jerry Goldsmith (“Alien”) and James Horner (“Aliens”) as well as Harry Gregson-Williams (“Prometheus”) into his atmospheric film music. “That’s the beauty of the language of music,” said Alvarez, “that we can quote melodies from other films that fans immediately recognize.” Sound effects – and sometimes absolute silence – also play a significant role.
Reunion with a Familiar Face
Fans of the series, which also inspired two crossover films with “Predator,” will discover various Easter eggs. For example, the group encounters an android named Rook. It’s the same model as Ash (Ian Holm) on the Nostromo.
“I find it unfair that many androids have returned in the films,” joked Alvarez, “and the only one who didn’t come back was Ian Holm’s character – in my opinion, the best of all.” The late Holm, who died in 2020, was digitally recreated with the approval of his family – much to the director’s delight. “I’m really proud of some of the footage.”
Old-Fashioned Filmmaking Approach
Alvarez shot his film the classic way, avoiding computer-generated special effects (CGI) as much as possible. “I’ve always been very old-fashioned in my approach,” he said. “While everyone else was using CGI blood and CGI violence, I thought: No way. I’m going to shoot everything practically.”
“Alien: Romulus” is, unlike many horror-thrillers today, neither extremely bloody nor does it overdo the graphic depiction of violence and injuries. The Uruguayan avoids cheap shock effects and generates story-driven tension. For anxious viewers, there’s reassurance: “Alien: Romulus” is not nail-biting.
Successful Thriller with a Small Flaw
The seventh film in the “Alien” series is nevertheless an entertaining science fiction thriller and a noteworthy addition to the franchise. Unfortunately, something happens in the last third of the film that irritated viewers in a similar form in Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s “Alien: Resurrection” from 1997. This could spark discussions among fans of the series. However, they are likely to agree that the first two films remain unsurpassed.
By the way, it’s rumored that it will continue in 2025. The first half of the year is expected to see the launch of “Alien: Earth,” the first TV series about the uncanny creature from a foreign world.