Alien: Romulus returns to its origins in a plot that sustains tension until the end

The franchise Alien It lost its prestige with the public and critics over the years. This was largely due to having followed paths that were not always interesting to the public, but also due to having been influenced by the studio and its producers.

The clearest case is Alien³1992 feature film signed by David Fincherwhich denies the film itself. Responsible for hits such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and The Social Network (2010), the filmmaker has already stated, in several interviews, that he did not like the result obtained in his debut production as a director.

That said, it is no exaggeration to say that the success — critically and publicly — of the first two films is due to their directors: Ridley Scottcreator of the franchise, in the first, launched in 1979; and James Cameronknown as blockbusters as Titanic (1997) and Avatar (2009), in the second, from 1986. Both stories are led by filmmakers committed to showing off their mannerisms and serving the genres they work with: the first, science fiction and horror, and the second, action.

After Alien – The Resurrection (1997), the fourth entry in the franchise — which completely sank any chances of sequels — a new maneuver was attempted: a crossover with the franchise Predator. The result? Another critical and commercial failure, but not big enough to prevent a sequel, which was also unsuccessful.

Ridley Scott returned to take over the reins of the franchise in 2012 with Prometheusin which the filmmaker presented a more philosophical and different approach than what the franchise had tried until then. The film divided opinions, but guaranteed a sequel, Alien: Covenantfrom 2017, which failed and buried again the plans of Scott to revive Alien.

Now, years later, the franchise returns for a new round with Alien: Romuluswhich hits Brazilian cinemas starting this Thursday, August 15th. In addition to casting Fede Alvareza director quite accustomed to horror, the novelty returns to the origins of the franchise to present a claustrophobic story led by new faces in Hollywood, as was the case with Sigourney Weaverwhich had its big debut in Alien, the Eighth Passenger and today it is considered an icon.

What is the story of “Alien: Romulus”?

In Alien: Romulusset after the events of the first film, a group of young space colonists venture into the depths of an abandoned space station. There, they discover a terrifying life form, which forces them to fight for their survival. Watch the trailer:

What do we think of the news?

The main hits of Alien: Romulus are the director’s lineup Fede Alvarezwho has already directed productions such as The Death of the Demon (2013) and The Man in the Dark (2016); and the return to origins that, ironically, seems to be the breath of originality that the franchise needed.

The story is quite simple, but what makes it Alien: Romulus so gratifying is how it takes on a look that refers to the original film, while also bringing several references to the franchise’s sequels — from Alien – The Resurrectionperhaps the most controversial of them, in the final third, the Prometheuswhen a certain element is mentioned by a curious character, who appears unexpectedly in the story.

However, the novelty is far from being limited to references. This is a raw and dirty film, focusing on building the tension faced by the characters, without the intention of presenting anything that has not already been done before.

Alvarez knows exactly where he is stepping and the tension escalates until the final minutes, when Alien: Romulus rises to a level of anguish and action comparable only to what Scott and Cameron reached their goals, leading us to believe that, after all, the franchise may still have salvation.

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