As a longtime fan of the Alien franchise, I must say that Romulus left me with a mixture of nostalgia and awe. Director Fede Álvarez has managed to weave together elements from various installments in a way that feels fresh yet familiar – a delicate dance that some may find tricky but which he carries off effortlessly.
Spoilers ahead for the plot and ending of Alien: Romulus.
By now, we’ve seen seven main installments of the Alien series, making it nine if you include the Alien vs. Predator movies – let’s not pretend we’re too cool for that! Over time, we’ve come to recognize the iconic appearances of these creatures. There are the swift-moving Facehuggers, the miniature yet menacing Chestbursters, and lastly, the adult Xenomorphs, fearsome creatures designed by H.R. Giger, which Ash (Ian Holm) in the original Alien described as “the ultimate organism.” They have two mouths, a very long head, and an abundance of slime.
Fans of this franchise understand that there’s a surprising amount of diversity in the alien species. For instance, Facehuggers take some DNA from their host for the Chestburster, resulting in the dog-like Xenomorph seen in Alien 3. Additionally, Prometheus introduced several new creatures, such as the humanoid Engineers and the squid-like Trilobite. Given this pattern, it’s not surprising that Alien: Romulus presents a fresh creation to fans while also paying homage to the classic Xenomorph by introducing something entirely new.
In act three of the movie ‘Romulus’, character Rain (played by Cailee Spaeny) along with her android sibling Andy (David Jonsson), engage in a continuous battle against hordes of Xenomorphs. Meanwhile, Kay (Isabela Merced), the last known human survivor, navigates towards cryopods hidden on their spaceship. Gravely injured and pregnant, she takes a risk for survival by self-administering a mysterious black fluid, believed to have healing properties and derived from the alien substance present in ‘Prometheus’. This action provides her with some additional time, until she unexpectedly experiences an increase in pregnancy and subsequently gives birth to a colossal egg sac.
Initially, the being appears to resemble a human infant for a moment but then grows at an extraordinary rate into a colossal hybrid. This new creature, one of the most bizarre creations in the Alien franchise thus far, bears less resemblance to its human “parent” and more of a blend between a Xenomorph and an Engineer. It possesses the pallid complexion and puzzled expression characteristic of its creators, as well as the signature Xenomorph double-mouthed structure that it employs to drain the last vestiges of life from Kay.
If it seems somewhat reminiscent, that’s intentional. The film Alien: Romulus frequently resembles a compilation of the franchise’s most iconic moments. The Xenomorph-Engineer hybrid echoes the alien-human hybrid from 1997’s Alien Resurrection. In this fourth and final film of the original series, a clone of Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) encountered her “child,” an alien-human hybrid born from more unconventional DNA manipulation. Nicknamed the Newborn, this creature resembles a Xenomorph with a human skull for a face. (It’s also worth mentioning that it had one of the saddest death scenes in any Alien movie, but discussing that might be too emotional at the moment.)
The distinctive nature of Romulus‘ final scene, familiar to fans, isn’t solely due to the hybrid itself. Instead, it follows a common pattern seen in many Alien endings, and this movie cleverly exploits that knowledge. First, there’s the traditional confrontation between the Final Girl and the main antagonist, ending with the antagonist’s defeat. Following Kay’s demise, the hybrid catches Andy off guard, suggesting a peaceful android ascension. However, Rain uses her wit to exploit an asteroid belt nearby, creating a breach in the cargo hold that leads to the Xenomorph-Engineer creature’s destruction, often a standard method for these movies – the alien being expelled out of an airlock into space.
In the tradition of many Alien films, Romulus concludes with our protagonist entering cryosleep and delivering a voiceover log as the sole human survivor. Regrettably, her feline companion Rain isn’t present, but she has put Andy in cryosleep with the intention of repairing him at a later time. Crucially, she managed to seize command from the Weyland-Yutani synthetic intent on returning the ship to the colony she fled — their primary goal is valuable alien specimens, disregarding human lives entirely. Ultimately, she aims for a better future for herself and her brother by seeking refuge elsewhere. The main themes of Romulus’ ending echo a formula that has proven successful within the franchise, and by now, it has become clear that this film proudly embraces its classical influences.
As a film critic, I’ve always found it challenging to navigate the delicate balance between homage and blatant copying. Fortunately, director and co-writer Fede Álvarez demonstrates remarkable skill in treading this line. In today’s IP-saturated world, it can be overwhelming to constantly grapple with references to cherished classics. (I’m still trying to recover from the emotional whirlwind of Deadpool and Wolverine!)
Instead of Easter eggs, there’s something even more intriguing going on in the film “Romulus.” Álvarez blends elements from his predecessors in a creative way, ranging from subtly using a gun similar to that in “Aliens,” to more complex character development like the film’s portrayal of Andy. The new synthetic being exhibits Bishop’s genuine concern for humanity, but gets corrupted by an android modeled directly after Ash, transforming him into a traitor android similar to the prequels’ David (played by Michael Fassbender). The alien-human hybrid represents the most refined embodiment of “Romulus”‘s aspirations, reintroducing a 27-year-old concept with a fresh and innovative twist.
The movie seamlessly combines the mythology from “Prometheus” with the strange world of “Resurrection,” creating a smooth transition between the controversial ending of the “Alien” series and the start of its prequel sequels, which took the franchise on an entirely new path. Each Alien film offers a unique viewpoint (occasionally even a new genre), but it’s challenging to imagine two films more contrasting than those that Álvarez merges for his “Romulus” conclusion. It’s an ingenious move that explores the recurring themes of the series: a preoccupation with birth, the perils of scientific discovery, and corporations prioritizing profits over human lives (a concept that might sound familiar). Of course, let’s not forget the signature element of body horror.
That’s not to say that what Romulus is doing will work for everyone. The familiarity of its ending — and much of the movie that precedes it — will be dismissed by some as a pale facsimile of earlier, better films, rendering Romulus a superfluous cash-grab installment for a franchise that usually holds itself to a higher standard. Even as a fan of Álvarez’s film, I’ll concede that its most direct nods to past Alien movies are the biggest marks against it. A stilted “get away from her, you bitch” is merely cringe, but it’s tough to look past Romulus’ greatest sin, a synthetic named Rook with the deepfake face of Ian Holm, who died in 2020.
In essence, Romulus manages to conceal many of its flaws due to its high entertainment factor. Scenes such as an exhilarating Facehugger chase or Rain floating weightlessly through Xenomorph blood in zero-gravity are tough to fault. Although some viewers might find the references to earlier films repetitive, the finale underscores the power of paying tribute. The novel alien-human hybrid character is unique, but it resonates more deeply with fans who have followed the Alien series. In today’s world where intellectual properties continue to thrive, this seems like an ideal situation: a director delighting in the franchise and unearthing something genuinely chilling as a result.
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2024-08-16 05:54