Alien Romulus hailed as “best movie since Aliens” – but everyone has one problem
20th Century StudiosAlien: Romulus could be the best entry in the franchise since Aliens, going by the first reactions – however, it seems like everyone has one complaint.
Alien: Romulus comes from Fede Álvarez, the director behind 2013’s (incredible) Evil Dead remake and the Don’t Breathe films.
It’s not strictly a follow-up to Ridley Scott’s divisive Prometheus (which is good, actually) and Alien: Covenant. This is a new story set between Alien and Aliens, following ill-fated space colonists who board a derelict spaceship – and, in the filmmaker’s words, what they find “costs them dearly.”
Scott told Álvarez it’s “f**king great”, but what do people think? Well, the first reactions are broadly positive, with some even hailing it as “the scariest movie [they’ve] seen this year.”
“Alien: Romulus is shockingly good… it emulates the original Alien movies so well. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor in the third act. That was insane. Wow,” Comic Book’s Brandon Davis wrote.
“ALIEN: ROMULUS is the best Alien movie since Aliens… it gets more thrilling with every scene, culminating in a mind-blowing final act that proves Fede Álvarez never holds back,” Jonathan Sim posted.
The Hollywood Reporter’s Borys Kit also said it has “the great hallmarks of what you would expect in an Alien flick… and even goes into a crazy new direction. Fede Alvarez & the cast just gave birth to summer’s best movie.”
So, what’s the problem? According to several critics, it may feature one too many callbacks – with one even describing it as “slickly directed franchise taxidermy.”
Brendan Hodges called it a “gratuitous nostalgia play, remixing what came before with some occasionally strong thrills… it’s the safest, blandest, and most vapid the series has ever been. I did not love it.”
“Devoid of any thematic depth, it incorporates so many winks, nods, and moments of fan service it often feels more like a greatest hits entry than trying to provide anything new or profound,” Matt Neglia also tweeted.
Inverse’s Hoai-Tran also said it “plays like a greatest hits of the ALIEN franchise, for better and for worse.”
Before the movie hits cinemas, find out exactly when Alien: Romulus takes place in the timeline, if it’s connected to Isolation, and how to get the Alien: Romulus popcorn buckets.