ALIEN ROMULUS – The Red Right Hand Movie Reviews [Matthew Stogdon]

Starring
Cailee Spaeny
David Jonsson
Archie Renaux
Isabela Merced

In between the events of Alien and Aliens, a scientific vessel probes the wreckage of the mining ship Nostromo and recovers the alien xenomorph for experimentation. Years later, on the colony Jackson’s Star, a group of young miners discover the scientific station seemingly derelict and adrift in orbit, and decide to salvage what they can to escape the harsh living and working conditions on their planet. Once aboard the station, it becomes apparent that the entire crew are dead, attacked by the very aliens they had been experimenting on. Naturally, chaos ensues and the surviving members try to escape the vessel before its decaying orbit slams into the planetary rings, or the xenomorphs catch them first.

It cannot be understated how Alien Romulus opens with such promise. Largely in thanks to setting up a world that entirely understands the fabric of what made the first two Alien films the monumental successes they became. The tactile technology, the exploitation of blue collar workers, man’s hubris when meddling with nature, the cycle of transgression and punishment – it’s all here. All of which is elevated significantly thanks to the truly sublime audio and visual prowess. The CGI has a haunting scale, the practical effects are masterful, and the cinematography is shadowy, rich and clean. Meanwhile the sound design screeches and bellows with oppressive organic and industrial weight.. and then there’s the score. Benjamin Wallfisch has created a suite evoking Goldsmith while making his own signature electronic nightmare. Not to mention, just the right amount of leitmotif injection to stitch the various 20th and 21st century components together. On a technical front, this feature is flawless. Well.. except for one questionable character inclusion.

In terms of performances, this film is 80% of the way there. The characters themselves feel real but somehow still a little undercooked. Now, I can’t tell you much about Lambert’s personal life and backstory in the original Alien but, even from the first viewing, each member of that crew stood out. The human characters here are reasonably developed and identifiable but not as memorable as they could be. That said, as tends to be the case in Alien films, the android-human relationship is the most interesting. Our central protagonist is Rain [Spaeny], a young woman looking to get transport to a different colony – one where she can see the sun. As such, her simple aspiration for a better life, is incredibly relatable. And while the various bonds with her friends are engaging in their own right, it’s her connection to Andy [Jonsson] – the discarded old model android – that is most enticing. Both Spaeny and Jonsson’s respective performances genuinely stand head-and-shoulders above their co-stars and are exceptional inclusions into this franchise.

Speaking of the Alien franchise, this movie is wholly imperfect and suffers thanks to the same intellectual property that helped afford its sizeable budget and draw. See, the legacy of the Alien franchise is a curse. If we take the events of this movie as a standalone science fiction horror, it achieves a great deal and should be lauded with praise. However, when thinking of what has come before, what should be a taut thriller is clogged and marred by the apparent necessity for callbacks and references. Essentially scavenging through the debris of a long destroyed relic. That said, much like the musical score, there are nods and plot points that will delight certain audience members. Even those who don’t care for the prequels. In fact, Alien Romulus seems to do a better job of tying Alien to Prometheus than Alien Covenant did; serving as the first actual bridge between the two parts of the franchise.

**Significant spoilers throughout this paragraph**
If you’ve picked up on the sense of restraint in my praise and enthusiasm, it’s because, for all this film accomplishes, there is a decision in the third act that will polarise viewers. A true make or break moment that follows the narrative formula in the first two films. Being so slavishly devoted to the high points of this series, Alien Romulus also insists that just when you think you can settle down, there’s one final conflict. The problem with this is that, what was previously unexpected, is now cliche and predictable. There’s next to no tension and we simply go through the motions, like a slasher horror sequel bringing the killer back for one last scare. But it’s not just that the script chose to employ a final turn of the screw, it’s that they attempted the Alien Resurrection ending again. While the setup itself is rote, the actual progression of this new experimental life-form that’s part xenomorph, part Prometheus engineer is a great addition. Unlike the flesh-waste offspring in Resurrection, this is unsettling, monstrous and somewhat logical. But that’s all moot if you’re opposed to the idea of the franchise going in this direction. In which case, it will simply tank your enjoyment of the entire film.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the experience of Alien Romulus. It felt like a solid return to something familiar and comfortable – as comfortable as disgust and horror can be – but the more I muse on the franchise as a whole and this instalment’s part in it, the more frustrating said experience becomes. Much like Star Wars: The Force Awakens of all things, Romulus doesn’t charter a new course, more it corrects the trajectory and reminds viewers why they enjoyed this series of movies in the first place. Yes, it’s comforting but it doesn’t do enough to forge its own path and find its own voice. Which is a shame.

Release Date:
16 August 2024

The Scene To Look Out For:
**mild spoilers**
While many of the set pieces feel like callbacks to other Alien properties (by which I mean comics and games, as well as the films), there’s also plenty of scenarios that give this film plenty to make it feel memorable enough. Case in point, Rain is eventually armed with a pulse rifle but is explicitly told she can’t use it. Thanks to a fair amount of foreshadowing and seed planting, we know that the station’s onboard computer has the power to reset the gravity. This gives us a much needed bit of action that ends in a zero-g acid blood slalom that has the novelty of being unique.

Notable Characters:
Andy is easily the most engrossing and compelling character. An older model android that functions poorly and feels like a thread between Rain and her dead parents. Moreover, Jonsson gives a fantastic dual performance which is simply standout and the best of the former androids: Ash and David’s duplicitousness, and Bishop and Call’s humanity. That said, there is one moment which is easily the most egregious in the entire film: having saved Rain’s life, Andy stammers through “Get away from her, you bitch” and it’s frankly awful, to the point of parody. This isn’t a slight against Jonsson because, in truth, there’s no way to make make that line sound good without coming off as a reference for the sake of fan service.

Highlighted Quote:
“We simply cannot wait for evolution any more.”

In A Few Words:
“A thoroughly enjoyable entry in the franchise that makes a few bold decisions but too few pioneering ones.'”

Total Score: 4/5

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