ALIEN ROMULUS

The monster moves in for the kill

ALIEN ROMULUS (2024). Director: Fede Alvarez. 

Rain (Cailee Spaeny) is a young woman who works for a mining corporation and wants out. Her constant companion is Andy (David Jonsson), a black android that has been programmed to protect her but is obviously damaged. Learning she has to stay in this dismal place for several more years, she agrees to flee to an abandoned space station with several acquaintances -- including Tyler (Archie Renaux), Navarro (Aileen Wu), Bjorn (Spike Fearn) and Kay (Isabela Merced) -- from whence they can hopefully reach another planet. Andy will be of much help as well. Unfortunately, the station is infested with the same deadly lifeforms as in Alien, and after being outfitted with a module from the android Rook (a digital Ian Holm), Andy is much more interested in protecting the interests of the corporation than he is of Rain's and the others ...   

Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson

If you're looking for something completely different with Alien Romulus, be advised that you won't find that with this movie. A sequel to the original Alien, which occurs before that movie's other sequels (such as Aliens) this picture makes full use of all of the general tropes of this sci-fi/horror series. For the first 20 or 20 minutes you might think you're simply watching a remake of Alien, but fortunately the movie sort of goes in different directions with different, moderately interesting characters. Alien Romulus works not because it's original -- which it isn't -- but because it's well-acted, well-directed, has superior FX work, and several thrilling sequences -- the main reason to sit through one of these movies. The climax, which makes use of an alien-human hybrid (which is gross and scary) -- as did Alien: Resurrection -- is a decided highlight. 

Verdict: Entertaining and slick with some excitement and scares. ***.