By Maalik Hawkins
Trinity Times Movie Reviewer

“Alien: Romulus” takes the decades old franchise back to its extraterrestrial horror roots, drawing direct influences from all six of the preceding films, providing rich history for its loyal fanbase and a riveting experience for first-time viewers. 

The movie was written and directed by Fred Alvarez, best known for his work on such critically acclaimed horror films as “Evil Dead” (2013) and “Don’t Breathe” (2016). 

For a while now the Alien film franchise has been going through a lot of changes and weird continuity variations that made it hard to follow, especially if you are a fan of the original films before the prequel movies were launched. 

I’m a big fan of the entire Alien series, including the films that are not necessarily held in such high esteem. 

Before I start sharing my thoughts on Alvarez’s new Alien adaptation, I want to provide you with an overview of the order of the films in chronological order. And for those who don’t know, the Alien vs. Predator films are not considered part of the official Alien franchise. 

Alien Franchise in chronological order
Film	Year of release
Prometheus	2012
Alien Covenant	2017
Alien	1979
Alien Romulus	2024
Aliens	1987
Alien 3	1992
Alien Resurrection	1997

Now that we’re on the same page, let’s discuss the latest release, “Alien Romulus.” 

The film is a direct sequel to the original “Alien,” released in 1979. 

The plot is set in the year 2142, a Weyland-Yutani space probe surveys the wreckage of the USCSS Nostromo, destroyed two decades earlier. Among the debris, the probe retrieves a large cocoon and transports it to a classified research station. Once there, masked scientists carefully unseal the cocoon, revealing a dormant xenomorph inside. 

The young adults stuck working on the star LV-410 devise a plan to find a spacecraft they saw while viewing space that should have cryo-sleep pods that should take them back to their home planet. Little did they know the spacecraft was full of face hugger eggs. 

This film is the usual battle for survival against the Xenomorph species, led by the protagonist Rain (Cailee Spaeny), who is accompanied by her adoptive brother who is also an android named Andy (David Johnson). 

Spaeny delivers a strong performance as the traditional “final girl,” displaying the expected strength and leadership of a main character in this franchise. Rain evokes empathy for her survival, and her determination to reach the cryopod is evident. 

Additionally, her character’s involvement in a scene with acidic alien blood was particularly intense and keeps audience members on the edge of their seats. 

But, the shining star of this film is Johnson, whose performance as an android is mind blowing. 

Without giving too much away, viewers will be mesmerized by his stunning performance, seemingly portraying two different characters simultaneously. Johnson’s character constantly makes you switch between the feelings of unease and caring for him as if he was an innocent child. 

This movie effectively conveys the message about what is truly considered worthy of living. Should these Xenomorphs be destroyed because of their natural instincts? If androids can show natural compassion, should they not be given the chance to live happy lives? 

You can even distill this message down to real-world beliefs from some religions, like Buddhism, which believes that even a creature as small as an ant should be given a chance to live the life granted them.

Visually exquisite, Romulus is set in the darkness of space, shines beauty from the stars and spaceship travel. The action and death scenes are stupendous in Dolby Vision. 

While the tone of the film seems like there would not be enough people for the Xenomorphs to hunt down, the story surprises you in every way. 

I was wrong, at one point, when I thought the movie had ended, only to realize there was another action-packed sequence coming up. 

Alvarez made the wise choice to transport this movie back to its horror roots, without some of the unnecessary drama and origin stories showcased in the two most recent films in the franchise. Sometimes, a simple plot involving an alien threat and the struggle to survive is all you need in a film, and this delivers that in spades.  

Romulus so far has raked in triple its budget. Based on its $80 million production cost and $314 million box office earnings, it’s clear that Alvarez has a hit on his hands. He should certainly be the one to carry this franchise forward, with plans to create an alien TV show called “Alien: Earth” from FX. Fingers crossed it doesn’t attempt to change the chronology of the storyline, since this film did a great job at connecting loose ends and aspects from all six of the other movies. 

Everyday Moviegoers – 9/10
Critics – 8/10
Cinephiles – 8.5/10

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Maalik Hawkins is a graduate student at Trinity Washington University