A major plot point in Alien: Romulus is how a hyper-intelligent, purpose-driven android chooses the survivability of the human race over what it means to be human. The android, therefore creates a hybrid organism by combining the DNA of humans and the alien xenomorph and calls it the next and necessary step in evolution. The film itself seems to derive from this same philosophy. The survivability of the franchise is chosen over what the franchise stood for: To breathe new and original ideas into the world of science fiction. Ridley Scott’s Alien defined the sci-fi genre in many ways, through its exploration of cosmic horror, existentialism, ethical dilemmas surrounding AI, and more. Romulus is an echo of all these tried and tested thematic discussions. However, the film does it diligently and with an earnest respect for the genre that you almost forgive its shortcomings.
In terms of visual grammar and mood building, Alien: Romulus is an uncompromising ode to the science fiction films of the eighties. The architecture of the world is both futuristic and brutalist, the design of the technology is muted and in no hurry to show you how futuristic it is. To add to the grimy atmosphere of a doomed world, almost everything is shrouded in shadows and smoke. When we get to the abandoned spaceship where most of the film unfolds, the design and lighting greatly accentuate the sense of desolation and doom inherent in the story. For example, even the airlock of the spaceship is designed like an assembly of retractable blades. However, this homage to the eighties sci-fi films unfortunately becomes a problem when it crosses aesthetics and seeps into the story. The crew of miners who try to jumpstart the abandoned spaceship are heavily reminiscent of every crew from old sci-fi thrillers. There is the level-headed leader, an impulsive man-child with a backstory-coded hatred for androids, the Michelle Rodriguez-type woman, the innocent yet suspicious android, and the unassuming protagonist. As soon as they introduce the characters, you know what their fate is going to be.
The dialogues are written as if the film is having a one-on-one conversation with the audience. Every time a character makes a seemingly questionable decision, we are told exactly how it will make sense later, a second later— “Why did you give us guns if shooting the aliens would make the aliens release their acidic blood which would damage the ship?”, “The guns might scare the aliens”.
However, we know that the guns are being given just so the characters might need them later. This attempt to patch a plot convenience would have worked better if not for the flimsy excuses for these convenient character decisions. Alien: Romulus also takes us out of a gripping experience with indulgent references to older films in the franchise.
This also comes at the cost of an abrasive shift in tonality. What makes us forgive these shortcomings are the committed performances of the entire ensemble. David Jonsson, who plays the android Andy, especially shines with how he subtly switches from child-like innocence to fierce commitment to his mission when his prime directive is changed. The brilliance of his performance lies in how he keeps you guessing how he will react to every change around him. You go from feeling deep empathy to frustration, fear, and back to empathy again, for him.
The daring yet controversial ending aside, Alien: Romulus neither offers anything nor does it have anything to say. However, it still remains an effective alien-slasher film, for when the xenomorph hunts down the crew, you still feel the thrills, the kills are delightfully gory, and there are ample amounts of ingenuity sprinkled throughout the screenplay. As mentioned earlier, the film mirrors the android’s attempt to merge humans and xenomorphs. While both of them fail at their purported attempts at evolution, in some ways, the survivability of the franchise seems to be ensured for now.
Director: Fede Alvarez
Cast: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced