150 Word Review: 'Alien: Romulus' (2024)
A moment of xenomorph
The best Alien screamfests have one thing in common: accidental hero Ellen Ripley, played by tough-but-vulnerable Sigourney Weaver, fighting Freudian extra-terrestrials with spring-loaded murder tongues.
In Alien: Romulus, the ninth film in the series, Cailee Spaeny is Rain, a plucky new accidental hero joined by a cast of attractive young models-slash-prey who die spectacularly, including David Jonsson as a glitchy, milk-filled android. Director Fede Álvarez is respectful of the original’s cosmic claustrophobia and contempt for capitalism.
In space, no one can hear you scream, but in Alien: Romulus, no one could hear me mutter, "Why are there so many references to other Alien flicks?” The movie sputters when it’s busy bridging sequels and prequels and expanding the IP universe. I just wanted a simple monster-on-a-spaceship story. There is plenty of shock and gore, though: in one inspired scene, our heroes float past splatters of acid blood suspended in zero gravity.
Random Rankings
Top 5 'Alien' Movies
5. 'Prometheus' (2012)
4. 'Alien 3' (1992)
3. 'Alien: Resurrection' (1997)
2. 'Aliens' (1986)
1. 'Alien' (1979)
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Grief. Friendship. Jazz hands. My debut memoir, ‘Theatre Kids,’ is now available for purchase. You can order it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble or support your local independent bookstore. Look how happy I am (don’t worry, I’m dead inside.)
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I can review it in one: awful.
There are NINE alien movies?? I only knew about the first two, and this one, which gave me nightmares and a little bit of diarrhea.