ALIEN ROMULUS is a 2024 science fiction horror film directed by Fede Álvarez, who co-wrote it with Rodo Sayagues. The film is produced by Scott Free Productions and Brandywine Productions. The seventh installment in the Alien franchise, the film takes place between the events of Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986).
While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.
The cast includes Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu.
ALIEN ROMULUS made its debut in theaters August 16th, courtesy of 20th Century Studios.
Even though I wouldn’t consider the film to be one of my all-time favorites necessarily, I have had a great respect for the Alien franchise since the OG film way back in 1979 when the Alien made its debut in theaters, starring a young Sigourney Weaver and Tom Skerritt. That film, which was directed by the legend Ridley Scott, set the stage for one of the most impressive franchises in film history. 45 years after the original film we have the latest film in the franchise, ALIEN: ROMULUS, which is said to take place between the events of the first and second film.
I was excited for ALIEN: ROMULUS and I am pleased to say it lived up to my expectations. As far as the sci-fi horror/thriller genre this is one of the better movies I have seen in quite some time. The film is genuinely terrifying from start to finish with amazing visuals, a terrific score, and some really great jump scares. I found the story to be interesting and easy to follow with layered characters that feel very real and are easy to root for.
The film feels incredibly claustrophobic which is a testament to the set design and the great cinematography. I also really liked that I was able to jump right in to seeing ALIEN: ROMULUS without putting in the effort to get a refresher on the franchise and I never felt confused or lost. I mean don’t get me wrong, you will benefit from revisiting the other films in the franchise before seeing this but it is not a necessity.
Honestly I’m not even a huge sci-fi fan as far as the genre in general, but I am a diehard horror fan and the Alien franchise has always done a fantastic job blending the two genres and that is the case yet again with ALIEN: ROMULUS.
The film serves up plenty for longtime fans of the franchise but also finds a way to appeal to a wider audience with a film that can easily stand alone. My blood pressure was through the roof for the majority of the film, and my biggest takeaway was that this gem needs to be experienced in theaters.
As as as the performances are concerned I was very impressed. I really liked Cailee Spaeny in the lead role of Rain. She played a strong yet sympathetic character and I was drawn to her from the start. Spaeny has been on a heck of a run as of late as she also starred in Civil War (our full review here) earlier this year. I thought she displayed a ton of emotion and really poured her heart into this role, so kudos to her for a performance she should be very proud of.
Starring along Spaeny was David Jonsson who played a “synthetic” known as Andy. This was a unique role for Jonsson as he was unable to display any real emotion because he wasn’t human but his chemistry with Spaeny and his ability to really maximize the potential of his character was a big reason why the story worked so well. The supporting cast was solid as well with no real complaints.
As expected ALIEN: ROMULUS absolutely shines from a technical standpoint. This movie looks looks incredible, and the impressive visuals are aided by a fantastic score that really kept me locked in. The production value for the film was just on another level, and each shot just felt so gritty and unpredictable as it was impossible to know what might be hiding around the next corner. The film is very dark in general so it has a very bleak post-apocalyptic feel throughout and a very clear identity which I appreciated.
The story was very solid and kept me engaged but the visuals and the score stole the show for me. ALIEN: ROLUMUS is a very intense movie and I definitely said “oh shit” under my breath more than a few times. Director Fede Alvarez deserves a ton of credit, this guy has proven himself a master when it comes to intense thriller films and he leaves his mark yet again. This is a franchise that really has things figured out, and as long as they continue to churn out movies you can bet on the fact that I will be showing up to the theater.
THE VERDICT
A visual powerhouse that also delivers top-tier acting and a massively intense score, ALIEN: ROMULUS is a truly terrifying sci-fi horror thriller that demands the big-screen experience. This movie really just hits on everything it needs to making for an experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. If you are a fan of this franchise or just love this genre do yourself a favor and get over to the theater and see ALIEN: ROMULUS, you’ll be glad you did.
TED TAKES RATING - 8.7/10
ALIEN: ROMULUS is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.