Rain (Cailee Spaeny) lives and works on a planet shrouded in darkness. Employed by Wayland Industries, she has spent much of her life under challenging conditions. After years of hoping to leave the planet with her android brother, Andy (David Jonsson), and move to a place where the sun shines brightly, Rain receives disappointing news upon completing her long-term work contract. Instead of being able to leave as planned, Wayland Industries has unexpectedly extended her contract, requiring Rain to continue working longer than she anticipated.
Fortunately, Rain is not alone in her frustration with working on the dreadful planet. A group of fellow workers and close friends share her dream of escaping and have devised a daring plan. They aim to take over an empty ship equipped with several sleep pods, which will allow them to travel to a destination of freedom. However, for their escape plan to succeed, they need Andy, an android, to use his skills to access the ship’s computers for smoother operations during their journey.
Showing remarkable courage, Rain manages to escape the planet with her group. However, their relief is short-lived as they soon encounter significant challenges. They discover that what they thought was an empty spaceship is a dilapidated space station with a mysterious past and a looming threat that could potentially destroy not just them, but the entire universe. Will Rain, Andy, and the crew find a way to escape the station before it’s too late?
"Alien: Romulus" is part of the Alien franchise and is set between the films "Alien" (1979) and "Aliens" (1986). The film is directed by Fede Álvarez, who is known for his work on movies like "Evil Dead" (2013) and "Don’t Breathe" (2016). I believe this film serves as a worthy sequel to the original "Alien," which I consider a sci-fi horror masterpiece. The narrative and visual elements of "Alien: Romulus" pay homage to the original film, evoking a sense of nostalgia for long-time fans of the franchise.
While I enjoyed most of the film's plot, I was a bit disappointed with how the finale attempted to connect the dots by referencing previous Alien titles, such as Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. For some viewers, this might necessitate a rewatch of these films and other entries in the franchise to fully grasp the finer details.
Overall, Alien: Romulus offers a refreshing take on the popular franchise, presenting a unique storyline and compelling new lead characters. The film successfully connects to earlier instalments, although there is some minor complexity in tying all the details from previous Alien titles together. Nevertheless, the sci-fi world created here is outstanding, providing a captivating blend of action, horror, and escapism. The visuals are remarkable, reminiscent of the original Alien films, and the soundtrack and sound effects deserve high praise. Despite some flaws in the storyline, Alien: Romulus delivers an excellent film experience that captivates the audience.
* This review has been written for Sanity. For more reviews from Walkden Entertainment, check out the link here: www.walkdenentertainment.com
Published on:
11 Dec 2024
Published by:
Walkden Entertainment (Peter Walkden) www.walkdenentertainment.com