While we weren’t expecting anything from the new installment of the Alien saga, entrusted by Ridley Scott to the Uruguayan Fede Álvarez, here we are with a very honorable film that we want to rank in the Top 3 of the saga after the original and Cameron!
Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson – Copyright 2024 20th Century Studios
While neither Fincher (beginner, it is true), nor, a fortiori Young (he, truly “foreign” to the concept) had not managed to rediscover the magic of the first two parts of the saga of the invincible xenomorph, while Ridley Scott He himself had deeply damaged his myth with uneasy ideas and unconvincing films (Prometheus, AVERAGE, Covenantfailed), there was little to hope for from this seventh part. However, the fact that Ridley Scott let go of the controls, and let it be Fede Alvarez – a very competent director of horror films (remember his oppressive Don’t Breathe !), should have intrigued us…
In fact, the contract made with Álvarez is clear to the vision of Alien : Romulus : 1) return to the fundamentals of the concept, and 2) make it as scary as possible. And on these two points, Álvarez delivers satisfactory results, beyond, in fact, our expectations. Of course, some complain that the references (and even some winks) to the rest of the saga are too numerous, but they clearly correspond to the concern for coherence of a director-screenwriter anxious to justify his audacity in coming to play on the ground of the 1979 masterpiece and its epic sequel, signed James Cameron (since Romulus comes to be placed chronologically between these two stories). Where he could have avoided references, it is with regard to Prometheus et Covenantespecially since it “gives birth” (literally) to the only ugly part of the film, the last one, which we could have done without.
If the initial premise of this new story (the exploration of a wreck by young adults seeking to find the means to leave the industrial planet where they work as virtual slaves) is quite fragile, the script ofÁlvarez and of Rodo Sayagues has the intelligence to make the most of it to characterize interesting characters, to whom it gives a real depth… which is much more effective for the viewer when these characters face the mortal dangers that we know well. Because, since it is not a question of surprising us by going outside the initial rules of the game, it is better to use all the good techniques of the “good” horror film: intelligent characters that we want to see get out of this (space) mess, good actors well directed to characterize them (with first and foremost the charismatic Cailee Spaenyperfect in Priscilla and very convincing in Civil War), a continually oppressive atmosphere in an original environment (here, very “dirty”, so in the spirit of the first film), no jump scares, not too many graphic details on the monsters, always more frightening when they are barely visible (the exception being the end, the least successful part of the film), and, the cherry on the cake, the use of animatronics and costumes for the creatures, with a minimum of CGI!
If you feel good on this rollercoaster of terror driven by Fede Alvarez, throughout two hours of tension and terror that should engage a new generation that has not been brought up on films Scott et Cameronin our opinion there is a little cherry on the cake of horror: we remember thatAlien originally pointed out the absolute lack of humanity of capitalist multi-corporations, putting their profit before human factors. It is reassuring to see the script of Romulus to drive the point home – since, almost half a century later, things have gotten much worse on this point, “in real life”. The whole remarkable introduction on the planet, where a sub-humanity works deprived of sunlight and the slightest hope of improvement, is worthy of a good science fiction film, while, later, the return to Ash’s “directives” (even if we could have done without the digital recreation of Ash’s face) Ian Holm !) and their transmission to the “handicapped” robot that is Andy allows Álvarez to add relevant political context to his (potential) blockbuster.
If we remember that the Production had originally planned to broadcast the film only on streaming platforms, we are happy to see that a certain respect for the work, its authors and its spectators has prevailed: such an impactful film, reflecting such enthusiasm on the part ofÁlvarez and of Sayagues vis-à-vis the universe entrusted to them, deserves to meet with popular success in theaters.
Eric Debarnot
