Set between Alien & Aliens, Alien: Romulus follows a group of young space colonists who, while scavenging an abandoned space station, come face to face with an evil group of aliens, otherwise known as the xenomorph’s. Directed by Fede Álvarez, the film stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu. This film has been one of my most anticipated movies of the year. As a fan of the first two movies, the movies since haven’t exactly wowed me, yet I have held out hope. I am glad I did, because this is perhaps the best movie in the franchise since Aliens.

Director Fede Álvarez has had a reputation with horror in the past between 2013’s Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe. Seeing him sign on for this project certainly intrigued me, and his style works beautifully here. He has a deep love for this franchise, which he implements through through the film, as well as implementing techniques for his prior films. Much like 2022’s Prey, it seems like 20th Century Studios is beginning to realize that it’s okay for new filmmakers to come in and tell brand new stories in franchises that are loosely connected. It helps branch out the mythology of the franchise, while also breathing new life into the franchise.

Immediately, right off the bat, I have to say that moving this to a theatrical release with such a smart move. With an $80 million budget, every single dollar is spent wisely. The production design is exquisite. We get to see a new perspective of these characters on a world that really explains more about this franchise. While the film has plenty of attributes that will satisfy longtime fans, I believe the direction of the story with the young characters helps garner new fans. We understand these characters motivations as they are trying to live a better life and are willing to risk it all. It’s a captivating way to introduce this story.

The primary characters that help kick off the story are Rain (Spaeny) and Andy (Jonsson). Spaeny is truly making a name for herself as of late, and this will only help catapult her career. It’s amazing how she manages to look and appear so differently in every role she is in. She is quickly becoming one of the best actresses working today. As much as other people will say, it is really Jonsson who steals the show. I won’t spoil who his character really is, but his performance brings so much emotion and humanity to this franchise. He will surprise you. While the cast was all around great, I feel like what Álvarez does with Isabela Merced’s character shocked me to my core. I felt for her, and Álvarez manages to sway your emotions as more and more keeps piling up on her.

As for the story, I do believe Álvarez breathes new life into the franchise, which only helps through the amazing production design and leaning into the horror genre. I honestly felt like I was holding my breath for nearly the entire runtime. You have to let yourself go while watching this, because the filmmaker is in full control. That’s what makes it so fun. The plot does fault a bit towards the end. While it’s still a lot of fun, it’s also just a rehash of Alien’s ending. As soon as it occurred, I knew how it was all going to end. It’s a lot of fun, but I do wish the film leaned a bit more in making it its own thing.

Some of the story choices is really where my problems lie. I am seeing it again in IMAX, and I can’t imagine my feelings changing that much. For one, a particular character returns through the use of CGI. I can see where people could argue that his character may be pointless. To me, I think it helps bridge the cap between the first two movies. My problem with this particular part of the story was the use of CGI. It’s not done well at all. Instead, I think the film could have gotten away with using an actor that looked more like him.

One negative aspect that I have seen floating around is how it uses too many callbacks to other movies. I know Álvarez wants to satisfy longtime fans, so I can let it slide to a certain degree. Unfortunately, these callbacks don’t make much sense. Does everyone just happen to talk in the exact same manner? It’s too much on the nose. It would have been cooler to see the original actor from a particular movie say it instead. In the context of the film, it doesn’t make much sense.

While it didn’t bother me, I can easily see the way the characters react to certain scenarios to be unpredictable for some viewers. Seeing that in movies would typically bother me. Instead, I see a positive point here. Álvarez effectively makes these characters feel human through the terror they are feeling. Yeah, they aren’t always making the best decisions to the scenario, yet it makes sense based on their fear.

Other positive aspects that are worth mentioning is the excellent score from Benjamin Wallfisch. I was floored at times just how thrilling the score was. It will easily become memorable. The film also wastes no time with getting into the plot. Instead of being a slow-burn, Álvarez gradually turns up the notch ever so slightly, giving you no time to slow down. The cinematography from Galo Olivares is also excellent. Between the camera work and sound, I couldn’t look away from the screen.

Overall, while not perfect, Alien: Romulus has to be the best movie in the franchise since Aliens in my book. It offers a new and fresh take on the franchise, while still staying true to what works in the past. This is easily one of the best theater experience of the year thanks to Álvarez’s excellent direction. Don’t get hung up on the little details though. Go in with the mindset that you will be entertained, and I think you will have a good time. I know I did.

VERDICT: Great – 4/5