By: Jesse Striewski
It’s been seven years now since we’ve seen the old Xenomorph hit the big screen in 2017’s Alien: Covenant, and based off of more recent entries such as the aforementioned film, I was not expecting much going into Romulus. However, within minutes I found myself lost in its giant world, glad that I had taken the journey.
Granted, the story is nothing all that original (how much can one expect it to be after all, seven entries in?); in a timeline set between the first and second films, a group of young miners devise a get rich (or in this case, out) quick scheme to a better life via an old spacecraft. Predictability, things quickly go awry after a pesky stow away or two quickly hinder their plans with gruesome results.
Despite the routine plot, it somehow feels fresh, and the initial slower pace adds an unease and tension that hasn’t really been felt as deeply since 1986’s Aliens. The dialogue has its cringy moment or two, but overall the acting is quite impressive (namely via Caliee Spaeny and David Jonsson), and the action itself worlds above previous entries.
Watching Romulus, I obtained that feeling of wonderment I felt while seeing the first and second Alien films that very first time; I might even go as far as to say this has quickly become my third favorite overall in the franchise (despite a slightly head-scratching ending, but that’s a conversation for another day).
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
