The Alien franchise has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows. I would consider the first two entries, Alien and Aliens, to be something akin to lightning striking twice. Simply put, they are masterpieces. What came later, from Alien 3 all the way to Alien: Covenant, have their merit and expand the lore of this universe to varying degrees of satisfaction. None of those later films pulled off the former two's tone, scares, and action. Frankly, it's a high bar to clear. Fede Alvarez has directed this latest entry, and while it isn't a masterpiece either, it comes closest.

 

Alien: Romulus takes place chronologically between the first and second films. Its story is self-contained, taking place approximately twenty years after the first film's events. Like those first two films, Romulus' main character is a strong female protagonist. While she's no Ellen Ripley, made immortal in fandom circles by Sigourney Weaver, Caillee Spainey's Rain is also easy to root for. She's intelligent, capable, flawed, and, like Ripley, is a victim of corporate greed and industry. Rain and her synthetic friend, Andy (David Jonsson), join a group of disgruntled mining colonists to hijack pod technology to facilitate a hypersleep journey that will abscond them from their corporate shackles. 

 

Like any heist plot, there's always a catch. The space station they board to retrieve the goods has been overrun by xenomorphs and facehuggers. Slimy, gross, and violent creatures driven by instinct and malevolence. The perfect organism (something we are constantly reminded of). 

 

The pacing in Romulus' beginning is slow, facilitating setup and development. The escalation gradually builds in the second act, and the third act drops into fifth gear. When the tension winds up, it becomes genuinely nauseous. A pivotal scene involving zero gravity and acidic alien blood is as breathtaking as it is white-knuckling to experience. 

 

What stands out the most in Romulus are the visuals. Alvarez has crafted a gorgeous film. Beautiful cinematography complements inspired set pieces; a fan made this film for fans. The tech and aesthetic Alvarez stocks in his film deftly immerse the viewer into this universe. Many of the xenomorphs are practical effects.

 

Romulus also earnestly returns this franchise to the horror category. The horror of Alien explored sexual violence, and Aliens touched on Vietnam and imperialism. I am sure there are symbolic ideas and introspective meanings to be found in Romulus, too, between the ethics of the synthetic directives and the rebellion against corporate indulgences. But Alvarez puts the horror up front, showing that his earlier body of work, the incredible 2013 Evil Dead remake and Don't Breathe, weren't happy accidents. 

 

The audience does not need deep lore knowledge of this franchise to enjoy the film. That being said, there are subtle and nuanced nods to almost every previous Alien entry that some may find endearing or irritating. But to call these moments "fan service" wouldn't be fair save for one or two instances; these callbacks enrich more than they detract. 

 

It is a shame that despite how superbly crafted this film is, the CGI used in critical scenes, namely in the third act and for a particular character throughout, is equally jarring. 

 

Alien: Romulus left me feeling anxious and a bit drained. But because I liked its characters, its story, and how gorgeous it looks, I must admire it. This film takes some big swings and mostly sticks the landing with its boldness. This universe still finds exciting ways to terrify for a franchise thought to be quite long in the tooth.