If you’re planning to see Alien: Romulus for your dose of big screen horror, do it. Don’t even hesitate. It’s a no-frills, all-the-thrills spectacle that rights the Alien film franchise’s ship, especially after two letdown prequel installments (Prometheus and Alien: Covenant).

If this isn’t your first rodeo with an Alien film, this standalone offering perfectly encapsulates what a movie from this franchise should always look. It doesn’t feed on nostalgia, nor is it full of empty promises.

Instead, it keeps viewers on the edge of their seats from start to finish with classic elements reminiscent of the Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986) chapters while also pushing the boundaries of just how sinister and gory it could get.

Of course, the overall story has also been tailored to accommodate xenomorph first-timers, making the Fede Alvarez masterpiece a must-watch. There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s begin.

⚠️ Warning: Some spoilers ahead! ⚠️

Simple, straightforward, sinister

Alien: Romulus progresses with a simple story all too familiar with fans of the franchise. There’s a group that embarks on a quest somewhere, not knowing what’s in store for them there.

Personally, I binge-watched the six Alien films for prior knowledge although after watching, I deemed that it isn’t that required. But sure. The familiar elements were all there.

Sole survivor? Check. Stupid decision-making that leads to a ripple effect of disasters? You bet. An android? Present.

There were references made to Alien through the Nostromo spaceship crew and Aliens with the latter a bit more implied rather than obvious. Just to recall, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation of course planned on harvesting the original xenomorph’s DNA upon learning of Ellen Ripley’s tribulations.

There was also Rook, who totally gives the Weyland corporate greed android vibe as he coerced Andy to fulfill the company’s mission of developing bioweapons from the xenomorph’s DNA.

From that point of view, it’s good to see this film fit into the timeline well, as it is set in between the first two films. But don’t expect it solving loose strings either, as it served its purpose well as a standalone.

Aliens? Yes, lots of them. That’s all that matters, anyway, and I’m glad we got a ton. The film easily featured the most xenomorphs ever for the franchise. The filmmakers overloaded the movie with more than one could possibly have hoped for.

They came in different sizes, forms, and appearances. All disgusting, all gruesome-looking, all unsettling. Scene after scene, audiences kept guessing as their hearts kept thumping. You’ll get what you paid for just with this aspect. More on this below.

New story, new characters

The group is an entirely new batch of characters, led by Cailee Spaeny’s Rain Carradine. Orphaned by her parents, Carradine lives with David Jonsson’s Andy, who is an android (for this film, they’re called “synthetics”).

When a group convinces Carradine that it needed Andy’s help to infiltrate an abandoned space station (you guessed it: it’s named after Romulus and Remus) because of his capabilities as an android, that’s when the ride begins.

The cast stands out with great acting. Jonsson, in particular, aptly portrays Andy as an emotionless being who just follows logic and reasoning. I loved how he wasn’t swayed by his human allies, and it played a part even if it meant letting others die.

The rest of the artists portraying the members of the crew also did their part to set up a horrific journey. Naturally, there were parts in the film that gave dilemma to characters as to how they’ll decide to progress. It added to the excitement.

Compounding woes

All the group wanted to do is to get to the abandoned space station and enter its remaining cryo chambers. Ideally, while in statis, Andy will set the course for them to reach Yvaga, their planetary system’s sun. That’s because their home planet of Jackson Star never sees the light all year.

The story takes a bad turn as there wasn’t enough cryo fuel inside the chambers for the trip’s duration to Yvaga. That’s when the crew searched for cryo fuel inside the station and accidently thawed dozens of facehuggers in the process.

Of course, deaths were imminent throughout the film. I thought they were well-distributed too. Nothing was rushed. The execution of the pacing as well done. Another aspect that stood out was how the film embodied the “how worse can it get” mantra.

For instance, just as the crew was already dealing with xenomorphs who have escaped the abandoned space station, the station itself was about to crash to a nearby planet’s rings. Andy also had his own internal conflict, while another character, Isabella Merced’s Kay, was found to be pregnant.

And towards the end of the film, just when everyone thought it would be over and the protagonist Carradine has already prevailed, a last-second xenomorph showed up, as if to say the nightmare isn’t over.

The multitude of conflicts made the movie even more harrowing and distressing that it already is to our eyes. That’s along with its appropriate pace.

Take a bow, Fede Alvarez

All in all, it was an astounding treat, specially for thrill seekers. The filmmakers packaged this movie greatly with a blend of cinematography, acting, storytelling, sound effects, and the sheer getting into a viewer’s psyche.

Personally, I loved how some scenes were taken from a unique angle where it kind of had a “show a little, and let them tell” approach. It was psychology at its best, letting viewers complete what was supposed to happen next.

We likewise still got the classic alien-faces-their-victim shots. There was an abundance of xenomorph screen time. And even then, the element of mystery wasn’t lost in the storytelling.

Part of me also felt that if Alien: Romulus was to be likened to a video game, it’s safe to say it had several chapters, with each getting more difficult and challenging with boss fights.

Alien: Romulus brought us back to the core with a spine-tingling and heart-thumping treat that didn’t feed on nostalgia but was rather filled with all the terrifying components we looked for, perhaps even on steroids.

Alien: Romulus is now showing in cinemas.