Romulus is a deeply visceral and satisyfing thriller I couldn’t look away from

It takes about ten minutes for the latest film in the Alien franchise to introduce the characters, establish a story, and set the stakes. The simplified approach and no-frills storytelling allow director Fede Alvarez to focus heavily on the sensory experience, creating a dark and unsettling tale of terror set in a desolate spaceship teeming with monsters .

A young woman named Rain (Cailee Spaeny) and her adopted brother Andy (David Jonsson), a synthetic, are ready to leave their sunless mining planet after Rain fulfills her work quota. When she is ready to receive her travel documents, however, she’s informed her hours have been extended; doubled, in fact, adding some five years or so more to her time. Similar to the first Alien film, right after which Romulus is set, this story carries with it anti-capitalist messaging. Rain meets up with several friends, and a plan is revealed to get off the planet and find freedom on their home planet some seven years away. An abandoned spacecraft is circling the planet overhead, and it contains the all-important cryochambers they need to reach their destination. They just need to fly to the ship, remove the chambers,and they’re free.

Of course, it’s not that easy, as the rebels quickly find out just why the craft was empty. This simple setup with a straightforward mission and at least a couple characters to root for allows Alien: Romulus to be such a thrilling experience that is big on atmosphere and scares with just the right amount of fan service and wild ambition thrown in.

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Release date, rating, and runtime

Enjoy on the big screen

Alien: Romulus releases wide on August 16. It clocks in at just under 2 hours, though it seems like it flies by. I caught the film at a press screening in IMAX, and I thoroughly recommend that if you choose to see it in theaters, you should opt for the biggest, most immersive screen possible.

What I liked about Alien: Romulus

Thrilling and chilling

A thoughtful, efficient opening to the film does just enough to set up the stakes and make you care about at least some of the characters. It’s obvious there is a lot of trust and love between Rain and Andy, and while the other four that join them aren’t as compelling, there’s enough there to make their fate of interest. That these 20-somethings are seeking to flee a hellscape created by Weyland-Yutani, a heartless international conglomerate that’s existed in the Alien franchise since the beginning (though it wasn’t named initially), makes their quest sympathetic and relatable. In the first film, the characters are slightly older (and less diverse), blue-collar workers given a dangerous job by a faceless company. In the second, the anti-corporate messaging comes in the form of a middle-management character who wants to preserve the deadly alien species. Here, these characters in their early 20s are already well-aware of the empty promises pushed by Wey-Yu, and they seek a way out on their own.

The conceit allows for the focus of the film to be placed on the exploration of the ship and discovery of the terrors hidden within. Romulus excels at creating a sense of space within the dark, often quiet confines of the ship, one filled with creaky structures, flashing lights, changing temperatures, and one character that will be familiar to fans of the franchise. There are a lot of winding corridors to navigate, with noises around the bend but nothing in sight, and Alvarez seems to make every step taken a nervous one. Early on in the exploration, three of the characters enter a flooded hatchery that feels wet and humid. Later on, when the xenomorphs appear, their slimy, sticky, corrosive nature is palpable. The heightened sensory experience makes the film more engaging, allowing you to buy into what’s happening and really feel the journey deep down.

There are also some very clever tricks introduced in the first act that make watching the film tense and exciting because you know these will come into play in the third act. The film doesn’t try to hide it either, quite confident that the suspense is more fun than a surprise. When first entering the ship, the audience learns it has an automatic gravity purge function, in which when gravity is turned off for an extended period of time, it will return briefly; an audible clue is given, so viewers are prepared for later on. When it comes into play, it makes for a wonderfully inventive and nerve-wracking scene.

In another moment early on, it’s pretty clear what’s going to happen when a character stumbles upon an x-ray wand. There is also a time limit placed on the proceedings: the floating ship is destined to crash into the rings of a nearby planet, a savvy way to create a sense of urgency.

All of these thoughtful additions and calculations are worthwhile because the film delivers on the promise of xenomorphs. It follows the familiar beats of past films, introducing face-huggers that give way to violent births and quickly lead to giant, acid-dripping creatures that emerge from the dark. Alvarez knows dealing with these characters isn’t the time to get too cute or clever. They have always been and continue to be a terrifying presence, and they do not disappoint, delivering more than a couple vicious, bloody deaths.

It all comes together in a movie that is well-executed and generally fun to watch.

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What I didn’t like about Alien: Romulus

Secondary characters are an afterthought

20th Century Studios

I think there is just about everything you want from an Alien movie in Romulus, including a complete absence of unnecessary world-building, existential musings, and flute-playing. I also think there might be a debate around the fan service, as there are a handful of character decisions that seem to serve the story and not quite their own beliefs or interests. Outside of the main two characters, the others aren’t give a lot to work with, so some of the deaths aren’t necessarily devasting, though they are gruesome.

For me, they worked, even one line in particular, but they might be a point of contention for some. For me, the film was more tense than it was scary, and more fun than it was uncomfortable, but I think that’s due more to my enjoyment of the past film and eagerness to give myself over completely to this story that sold me from the beginning.

The final sequence of the film does a bit of a pivot and takes a big swing that might prove divisive. I will say that I am mostly here for it. I appreciate ambition, particularly when it comes to livening up long-running franchises. I don’t know if it fully works for me; but it sure is thrilling, weird, and wild.

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Verdict: Should you see Alien: Romulus?

Embrace the theater experience

Alien: Romulus is supremely satisfying, providing a visceral cinematic journey that is thoughtful and scary. I was all in from the start for a story about young people rebelling against a ruthless corporation by setting their own path, and while I didn’t care about a bunch of characters, the duo of Spaeny and Jonsson are so watchable and compelling. They carry the load quite a bit and both actors offer impressive range for a story that requires investment in their characters to succeed. There is also a concerted effort to make the film simple, and it emphasizes the key elements that made the first two films great, and helps Romulus feel like one of the classics.

Alien: Romulus

A tactile, uncomfortable setting, an intense score, and emphasis on the sensory experience of the film make Alien: Romulus engaging from start to finish.

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