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This review may contain spoilers.

The Alien series has never quite hit the same highs after Ridley Scott and James Cameron brought out just about everything that could possibly be done out of Ellen Ripley’s story. Yet through the prequel films Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, for the flawed pursuits that they were, Ridley Scott saw a chance to explore the foundations of such a world and how the monsters we knew them through this series came to be. It’s also a big part of why Alien: Romulus had potential laid out, because more stories within this universe existed even outside of the story of Ellen Ripley. It’s what Fede Álvarez could have easily found himself exploring with this movie but even he finds himself oddly trapped here.

Set in between the events of Alien and Aliens, Alien: Romulus tells a story centering around Rain (Cailee Spaeny), a Weyland-Yutani employee looking for a means to escape from her poor life conditions under the company’s eyes. Eventually, she joins a group a space colonists to scavenge a derelict space station, with the hopes of finding cryostasis chambers to let them escape from their current home planet. But upon arrival at the space station “Renaissance,” they find that the ship is inhabited by more of the same life-form that had led to the destruction of the Nostromo as seen in Alien. Álvarez bringing this series back to its roots as a “haunted house movie in space” is one thing, but how much of that notion of returning to the roots can be too much of a good thing?

To the credit of Álvarez, he knows perfectly well how to create the atmosphere for a terrifying movie. From Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe, one can already feel that he’s bringing the same feeling of horror from closed-off locations in ways that are perfect for an Alien film. All the best aspects of Romulus come from a visual approach that Álvarez accomplishes, where every moment of the film captures what we loved most about the Alien series. Everything looks dark enough to the point it effectively replicates the “haunted house” feel that made Alien such a mainstay.

Alas, the cast of characters are not nearly as memorable as that from Ellen Ripley’s own saga either. Not that I was expecting a new Alien story to fully exist within the same realm as Ripley’s own story, for that’s done by now. But despite the best efforts of its cast (in particular, Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson stand out), everyone here feels like a template of character archetypes we’d seen before. They all feel indistinct, and the deaths end up feeling inconsequential. I can’t say this is so much the fault of the cast, who are trying to do the best with the script – which really doesn’t do them any favours whatsoever.

The most egregious thing about Alien: Romulus though is the fact that it seems so hell-bent on cashing in on people’s nostalgia for the past films. It’d be fine if Ellen Ripley’s story served as exposition for another story to be told in the same universe. That’s not the case here. From the moment the film starts, you get a sense of how much Alien: Romulus is built around what people remember most from Ridley Scott or James Cameron’s movies. All this starts with the 20^th Century Studios logo being played around with in the same manner as David Fincher’s Alien 3, but then you hear a character saying “Get away from her, you bitch!” like Sigourney Weaver had made famous in Aliens and you can’t help but roll your eyes.

I’d be fine with these if they were just minimal at best: but then the most egregious part comes forth with the introduction of Rook. The character is the exact same model as Ian Holm’s Ash from the first Alien, and even includes a deepfake to superimpose the late actor’s face and recreate his voice so seamlessly. If this appearance had been an expository cameo at best, it would not have been great but it probably would be easier to overlook. But the need to give him a prominent role just feels exploitative, and even quite disgusting too. Every time he appeared, I was always taken aback by the choice – because I can’t think of any reason it was necessary too.

Nonetheless, there are very inspired moments that show a deep love of the world that the Alien series had built over the years. In particular, the climax of the film is a very inspired set piece that boasts greater potential if Fede Álvarez were to make another Alien movie. I’ll be there for it, because I’ve been rooting for Álvarez ever since his Evil Dead reboot, which I thought to be much better than many give it credit for. One can keep playing all the greatest franchise beats so many times before viewers eventually become numb to it. It’s a shame, because the potential is present and it’s ultimately squandered by the relentless cashing in on nostalgia.

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Watch the trailer right here.

All images via 20th Century Studios.

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Directed by Fede Álvarez
Screenplay by Fede Álvarez, Rodo Sayagues
Produced by Ridley Scott, Michael Pruss, Walter Hill
Starring Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu
Premiere Date: August 12, 2024
Running Time: 119 minutes