'Alien: Romulus' review: Good old-fashioned sci-fi horror
MANILA, Philippines — Horror director Fede Alvarez returns to the essentials of what made the "Alien" franchise so beloved in the standalone entry "Alien: Romulus."
Set between the events of "Alien" and "Aliens," the new film follows orphaned worker Rain and her synthetic adoptive brother Andy, who join a sudden mission to approach a spacecraft drifting in space, hoping it can lead them to a better life.
The spacecraft is actually an abandoned two-part space station, and the young crew realize what they thought was their salvation contains dark secrets that could cost them their lives.
People continue to argue if Ridley Scott's original "Alien" from 1979 or James Cameron's action-heavy 1986 sequel "Aliens" is the best of the series, but it is clear the franchise has yet to match the success of both.
The following sequels made attempts, dreadful crossovers involving how the Predator came and went, and Scott made swings with two prequels that focused more on the lore rather than the thrills.
The faults of the latter entries must have lingered on Alvarez's, best known for helming "Don't Breathe" and the "Evil Dead" remake, given he is a fan of the franchise and wanted to return it to its former glory.
With constant collaborative screenwriter Rodo Sayagues and a producing Scott behind him, Alvarez goes back to basics for "Alien: Romulus" and the film is all the better for it.
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The first "Alien," to put it simply, was a slasher film set in space, and 45 years on this new entry mirrors best the original through a well-paced story of blue-collar workers just trying to make it out alive.
"Alien" took pride in using practical effects with a distinct design courtesy of H.R. Giger, and "Alien: Romulus" pays homage to him with an updated production design by Naaman Marshall that feels real at every turn.
Aiding in that experience is the cinematography by Galo Olivares, a thrilling score by Benjamin Wallfisch, and sound design as terrifying as the creatures aboard the space station.
The only fault from the technical side is surprisingly in the visual effects department in an effort to connect to the first movie, an attempt that may divide audiences as it has for several years in other films.
The sci-fi horror experience would not be complete without a stellar cast: Cailee Spaeny gives a performance that would make Sigourney Weaver's Ripley proud, while David Jonsson is a standout on different fronts as the synthetic Andy.
A special mention should go to Isabela Merced for giving a classic horror scream and probably the best the world has heard in quite a while.
There is beauty in simplicity as "Alien" and now "Alien: Romulus" have shown, as long as there is primary focus in the direction a film will take.
The industry will hopefully learn from this since Hollywood has been cashing in on sequels and franchises. Alvarez, at least, has steered this franchise away from the dark depths of space.
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