Romulus has a solid plot and decent enough character development. The screenplay is pretty good too, though there is a good deal of fan service. Some is subtle, some is hit you in the face with a mallet annoying. Luckily, when this film finds it’s groove, it can be really fun and really f’d up.
Benjamin Wallfisch scores Romulus, and does a phenomenal job. He borrows elements from Jerry Goldsmith’s score for Alien, but his work here never feels like a copy-and-paste job. It is it's own beautiful, freaky thing. Wallfisch continues to impress with his scores. Whenever I see his name pop up before a film, I get excited.
The production design, set design, creature design, sound design, and cinematography are just about perfection. The cinematography in particular is consistently gorgeous and stunning. There is also one creature/Alien that is incredibly disturbing. He/She/It is pure nightmare fuel. Romulus doesn't rely on jump scares to frighten, instead leaning heavily on atmosphere, tone, and pure tension to get the job done. That said, the film does feature two top-tier jump scares.
Cailee Spaeney plays our lead, and consistently looks like a young Sigourney Weaver throughout. She’s given a decent amount of meat to chew on, but this isn’t her best or strongest role. That said, she still impresses. Archie Rénaux as Tyler is very likable and feels like a stabilizing force throughout. He is great in his role. Spike Fearn as Bjorn plays a jerk very well. You aren’t necessarily supposed to like him, but I sure did. He has a real presence about him. He’s definitely a stand-out, memorable role. Isabela Merced might be the best she has ever been as Kay. She is a pretty strong woman who is easy to root for. She also has hands-down the most disturbing scene in the entire film.
David Jonsson might impress the most as Andy, a very human and very lovable obsolete android (Oh my God, I just got it. Andy…android.). He cares deeply about Rain and his primary objective starts out as doing whatever is best for her. Of course, he is an Android, so his loyalties are ultimately questionable. Jonsson does a great job at keeping us guessing as to if he is truly a good guy or not. Jonsson is given a lot to work with as he has to play with some Autistic-esque qualities, he has to be icy/stony and cold, he has to play determined, and he also has to have a warmth or empathy to him too. Jonsson pulls it all off effortlessly. He really might be the best actor/role in the film, and his Andy reminds of a specific character from Fede’s Evil Dead (As far as his character progression/arc goes).
During the press tour for Romulus, Fede Alvarez boasted about his use of practical sets and practical effects, and indeed there is a lot of that here. Unfortunately, CGI is utilized (or looks like it’s utilized) a good deal too. There is CGI used for one character that is just PS4 cut-scene level bad, and some might be offended by the character in question (I imagine the words distasteful and disrespectful might be thrown around). That said, it's still good to see them included. Some of the sets seem to have a CGI gloss painted over them as well (not many, but I’d say at least two or three).
Fede is clearly a mega-fan of Alien. The pacing and structure for Romulus is heavily influenced by that film. That said, Romulus more often than not feels closer in tone to Aliens. There are plenty of tense, suspenseful, and scary scenes, but there is a clear emphasis on action a good deal (especially in the third act). It’s also appreciated that Fede finds a way to make the events of Prometheus and Covenant important to what is happening in Romulus (I’d say more-so Prometheus than Covenant. Elements from Alien: Resurrection are lightly included as well).
Alien: Romulus does a lot right, it also slips up at times too, though. It tries to add emotional stakes so audiences can get invested in our leads and their plight, but your mileage may vary. Luckily, it is always cool and fun. The first 5 minutes and final ten minutes are incredible. Honestly, the last ten minutes might be the best part of the movie. Alien: Romulus tries/wants to be the perfect organism: a blending of Prometheus, Alien, and Aliens. Unfortunately, perfect this is not. Luckily, there are enough great scenes and moments that it earns a recommendation. It will definitely F you up. As is, it’s either the third or fourth best Alien movie.
4 STARS