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“Prometheus” brought us life, “Covenant” brought us family, and now director Fede Alvarez brings us his own twisted vision of the “Alien” franchise with his new film, “Alien: Romulus”. This two-hour long terror follows Rain (Cailee Spaeny) and her brother Andy (David Jonsson) as they and a few friends decide to steal from a derelict space station orbiting above their mining planet, unknowing of the terrors that lie above them in the form of the ubiquitous Xenomorph. While this is a wonderful starting point for anyone new to the series, it helps to see the original 1979 film “Alien” for some easter eggs.
Through sci-fi terrors and amazing action sequences that leave you on the edge of your seat, this film has cemented itself as one of the best films in the “Alien” franchise and science-fiction horror.
Spaeny and Jonsson are amazing as the brother and sister duo that help each other survive the trials and tribulations of the Romulus space station. Massive props go to Jonsson who plays an android who goes through a transformation early in the film, causing him to play a foil of himself. This massive switch cements him as a new actor we should all be on the lookout for and see his career with great interest.
Spaeny also plays Rain with precision, fear and determination, causing her to become an amazing scream queen and another addition to Alien’s heroines such as Ripley and Shaw.
Alvarez is no stranger to gory film with flicks such as “Evil Dead (2013)” and “Don’t Breathe”, but this film takes the gore of the series and turns it up to 11 with the last 20 minutes of the film being some of the most demented horror in science fiction. As said in the title though, the film is near perfect, with some lines of dialogue and even an appearance from a character that many did not expect, reeking of studio meddling and fan service for the sake of fan service.
Besides all that, the film is amazing and worth your time if you are brave enough to take a trip to Romulus station.
4.5 facehuggers out of 5.