Shadows on the Wall | Alien: Romulus

Alien: Romulus

dir Fede Alvarez
scr Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues
prd Ridley Scott, Michael Pruss, Walter Hill
with Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu, Rosie Ede, Robert Bobroczkyi, Trevor Newlin, Ian Holm, Daniel Betts, Annemarie Griggs
release US/UK 16.Aug.24
24/UK 20th Century 1h59

See also:

Is it streaming?

By diving deep into retro-style designs for sets and tech, filmmaker Fede Alvarez creates one of this long-running franchise's most enjoyable thrillers. A direct sequel to Ridley Scott's 1978 original, it pushes a fresh young cast through the wringer in a situation that would be perilous even without the ravenous space monsters. Clearly assembled for fans, it's also packed with call-backs to favourite moments from the previous movies.

In a grim mining colony on the dark side of a distant planet, Rain (Spaeny) is desperate to take her synth "brother" Andy (Jonsson) and start a new life somewhere sunnier. To help make this nine-year journey, she turns to her friend Tyler (Renaux). Working with his sister Kay (Merced), cynical pal Bjorn (Fearn) and tough-girl Navarro (Wu), they first need to collect cryo-pods from a decommissioned spaceport. But this station was overrun by xenomorph creatures that drip acid blood. And they may not be able to escape before it collides with an asteroid belt.

Briskly paced, the film charges between intense set-pieces. And Alvarez takes the time to properly build suspense, so our stomachs are churning even before anything nasty happens. Each encounter with these creatures, at various forms in their cycle, is harrowing. It's not surprising that characters begin being picked off one by one, nor is it terribly unexpected who is left at the end. And along the way there are several moments that challenge our sense of internal logic. But the film is so well-crafted that it's fun to just hang on for the ride.

Spaeny anchors the story as the plucky young woman with dreams of living somewhere beautiful for a change, and her bond with Andy is the heart of the story. Indeed, Jonsson has the most complex role, a timid man whose programming gets a sudden tweak from a familiar old face, but Jonsson maintains Andy's endearing personality right through this. Rain's cohorts are less defined, but make a terrific team of young people who are fed up with living in a society that offers them no future.

Clanking metal and vintage video displays add terrific texture to each scene, as does the use of practical effects and puppetry that keep digital trickery in the background. And Alvarez skilfully maintains the intensity, hurling the characters from one nightmarish situation to another, as if they are caught up in a sadistic Alien-themed videogame. So it's easy to just ignore those elements that feel a bit false, because something is coming up that'll have us gasping for air.

themes, language, violence 14.Aug.24

R E A D E R R E V I E W S

Still waiting for your comments ... don't be shy.