After all those hit-and-miss “Alien” sequels, it’s comforting to see “Alien: Romulus,” a sturdy entry in the canon that reminds us of a day when summer films were reliable tent poles. Occurring after events of the first “Alien” film, “Romulus” pulls a working stiff, her android brother and their friends onto a decommissioned space station. There, they hope to recover some pods in order to escape to a planet that isn’t being strangled by an overzealous company.
Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack Once aboard, they’re in for the same kind of surprises the original “Alien” team encountered. Co-written and directed by Fede Alvarez, “Romulus” has a proper look and pace. It’s extremely dark, but so much better for creatures to ooze out of the duct work.
While some of the friends disappear before we even get to know their names, Alvarez manages to reintroduce a couple of original characters who help explain what in the world is going on. People are also reading..
. This image shows Archie Renaux, left, and Cailee Spaeny in a scene from "Alien: Romulus." 20th Century Studios One tests the bounds of Artificial Intelligence (is this the future for films like this?); another merely reminds you of the connection.
Both, however, suggest Cailee Spaeny as Rain, the contract worker, is going to be headed down Sigourney Weaver’s path at some point. She handles all of the surprises well and has a super bo.