Alien: Romulus

Alien: Romulus is a love letter to the 1979 classic, and while I dug the whole philosophical space-god thing in Prometheus, this stripped-down, back-to-basics approach had me hooked from the first frame. It's been a while since an Alien film truly captured that sense of claustrophobic dread, and Romulus nails it. This movie is gorgeous, plain and simple. The lighting, the camera angles, and Benjamin Wallfisch's score – it all blends together to create this constant tension that just sucks you in. There's this one scene where Rain, Andy and Tyler are being chased through the research station, the way they use the shadows and movement, it's like a masterclass in suspense. It totally reminded me of the most terrifying moments from the original. It's obvious Álvarez was obsessed with recreating that gritty, lived-in feel of the first Alien, and it pays off big time. The cast is solid too. Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson absolutely kill it as Rain and Andy. I'll admit, I was worried Andy would be your typical forgettable sidekick, but he actually gets a pretty interesting arc. Sure, most of the crew are basically there to get picked off by the Xenomorph, but Andy was a standout supporting character. He basically played two roles. It's refreshing that the movie doesn't waste time with a bunch of unnecessary characters. One thing this movie does really well is finding that sweet spot between horror and action that made the first two films so iconic. Alien 3 was so bleak, and Resurrection was just bonkers action – this one feels like a proper blend of both. Fede Álvarez basically throws in all the best Alien tropes: the ragtag crew, the creepy body horror stuff, the tense hide-and-seek scenes, and some kickass action sequences. And you know what? It totally works. I was impressed at a lot of the creative set pieces and how they built tension. Like how they played with gravity to avoid the acid and trying to sneak past the facehuggers by camoflaging their body temperature. They were really cool and shockingly unique and fresh for a nearly 50 old franchise. And let's talk about that body horror. There's this one scene, a seriously messed-up vaginal birth, that is going to be burned into my brain for a while. Álvarez definitely gets what makes this franchise tick. I'm giving Alien: Romulus a strong 7/10. It lost some points for the use of the CGI Ian Holm. It's so distracting, and they rely on it way too much. Also, there some lines that were stuck in there for nostalgia that felt out of place. But honestly, those are minor nitpicks in a movie that's this much fun. The whole final act, with the station crashing into the asteroid field and that epic showdown with the Human/ Xeno, is just pure chaos in the best way possible. Alien: Romulus is a worthy successor to the Alien throne. It's a visual treat, a thrilling ride, and a damn good reminder of why we love this franchise in the first place.