Alien: Romulus Review

Alien: Romulus reviewed by Tom Jorgensen. In theaters August 16, 2024.
Evoking the genetic f***ery that always spells doom in these movies, Alien: Romulus is a lean, mean, chimeric beauty. Fede Álvarez proves that his Evil Dead remake was no fluke: The director seamlessly keys into the narrative and aesthetic touchstones of the series and marshals them to breathtaking ends. Romulus occasionally takes a turn down a dead end hall pace-wise – and unfortunately its most audacious bridge to the franchise’s past is extremely rickety – but those missteps are forgivable considering how confidently and judiciously Álvarez handles them elsewhere. Helped along by a talented ensemble of young actors and reference-quality production design, Alien: Romulus’s back-to-basics approach to blockbuster horror boils everything fans love about the tonally-fluid franchise into one film, and it’s one that you’re going to need to start making time for the next time you plan on marathoning Alien and Aliens.