ALIEN: ROMULUS. A Successful Recycling of the Sci-Fi Series? [REVIEW]

If I had to choose one movie that premiered in 2024, which I saw in theaters and could watch again tomorrow, I would pick Alien: Romulus. And let me remind you, I’ve seen plenty of truly good and excellent productions this year that brought me a lot of enjoyment. Yet, overall, Fede Álvarez’s film isn’t outstanding, just good. So why would I make this choice? Because it reminded me of why I love the Alien universe, something I had somewhat forgotten in recent years. Yes, I’m aware Alien: Romulus will divide audiences, as it’s far from perfect, entirely derivative, and borders on a sort of remake/reboot of the series. Additionally, in the finale, the characters’ motivations are somewhat… strange. However, I will insist that Álvarez succeeded where Prometheus and Alien: Covenant failed—he crafted a simple, yet effective, pure monster body horror blended with space survival. And he did so with incredible visual craftsmanship. I could watch dozens of these kinds of recycled stories because, despite their simplicity and the abundance of fan service, it’s still a movie that stands on its own.

The main problem with the previous two installments of the franchise was the loss of the essence of Alien—in H.R. Giger’s vision, the Xenomorph is an almost Lovecraftian, primal monster shrouded in mystery and terror. A perfect organism with an insatiable bloodlust and inhuman ferocity. Covenant and Prometheus lost that essence, focusing on world-building and attempting to strip the Xenomorph of its mystery, turning it into just another DNA experiment. Meanwhile, the terror of Nostromo’s eighth passenger lay in how horrifying and incomprehensible this alien entity was. The atmosphere, retro-futurism, and claustrophobia—all of it spilled from the screen, took your breath away, sent shivers down your spine, and captivated millions around the world. And that’s what once again pours out of the new Alien like acid from a wounded Xenomorph. Alien: Romulus cannot match the brilliance of the first and second films because it’s merely (but successfully) recycling them, yet in my personal ranking, I can easily place it right after them. It pays tribute to them, referencing themes, visuals (the blend of practical effects with CGI works great here!), and music, while still managing to tell its own story. And it doesn’t ignore Prometheus either, as it nods to threads from Scott’s film, but doesn’t focus on what dominated that production and irritated viewers. I will also defend the choice of a young cast, as it makes the story appealing to younger audiences—the characters are sketched simply, but very vividly, with a psychological depth that’s handled deftly. Cailee Spaeny dominates the screen, once again proving that she is the future of cinema. Archie Renaux also delivers. David Johnson’s portrayal of the synthetic Andy, however, truly captivated me. He skillfully played the emotional duality of his character, and his performance contributes to the ongoing debate about the development of AI. Fassbender can applaud. The potential of the rest of the cast wasn’t fully utilized, which leads us to a section where I’ll have to voice some complaints.

I’m aware there are several things one might criticize about Álvarez’s film. The very blatant, almost straightforward ticking off of references to each previous Alien movie, the extremely simple plot in which, once again, we have a group of people who end up on an abandoned ship, where they encounter a terrifying monster straight out of nightmares and fight for survival. We’ve seen all of this before. If I add to that the fact that the main character makes somewhat irrational decisions regarding her pregnant friend in the finale, while the rest of the characters are just background, there are a few significant issues. Yet, I overlooked all of that in favor of escapism. I was swept away by Álvarez’s essential story that encapsulated the core of what Alien is about. He masterfully used familiar elements from Don’t Breathe (he practically replicated its plot structure 1:1), selected the best aspects from all previous Xenomorph films, added hypnotic visuals that seem straight out of 1979 (the last time such an effective time-traveling cinematic device was used was in Midsommar), and plunged us into this whirlwind, making us dance on the edge of a heart attack.

Even though Alien: Romulus might not be for everyone, I can confidently say this is the Alien we all deserved. In my opinion, Fede Álvarez delivered everything that’s best about this series. There’s a personal touch and freshness in this recycling that could attract younger viewers. While the creator of Don’t Breathe didn’t reinvent the wheel—it’s more of a concentrated homage to everything we’ve seen in the previous films, especially the first three—he did it on his own terms with a distinctive style. The last 15-20 minutes are a nightmarish frenzy, ramping up the tension. I was on the edge of my seat, on exceptionally sharp pins. It’s proof that there’s still plenty to be explored in this series. I’m sold. Sometimes, simplicity is strength.