Scott Free Productions and Brandywine’s Alien: Romulus (dubbed from the Hollywood film of the same name; A) is a horror science-fiction drama.
A Weyland-Yutani space probe investigates the wreckage of the USCSS Nostromo in which is found an organic object containing a Xenomorph.
Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny), an orphaned miner, works at the colony Jackson’s Star with her adoptive brother, Andy (David Jonsson), an android reprogrammed by Rain’s father as her surrogate brother. She soon joins ex-boyfriend Tyler (Archie Renaux) to retrieve cryostasis chambers from a derelict spacecraft. These chambers will allow Rain, Tyler, his sister, Kay (Isabela Merced), cousin Bjorn (Spike Fearn) and his girlfriend, Navarro (Aileen Wu), to escape to planet Yvaga. Andy’s ability to interface with the onboard computer system is crucial for the success of the mission. But is it so easy after all? Not at all! For, Tyler, Bjorn and Andy accidentally revive frozen facehuggers while retrieving stasis chambers. What follows is utter chaos and mayhem because the accidental revival triggers a lockdown. To override the lockdown, Rain installs a chip from a damaged android, Rook, into Andy. This chip grants Andy access to the station while updating his thought processing and efficiency but it also changes his prime directive so that he becomes solely loyal to Weyland-Yutani.
The facehuggers kill the team members one by one. How Rain and Andy manage to escape forms the crux of the drama.
Fede Álvarez and Rodo Sayagues have written a story which offers a lot of scope for horror. Their screenplay gets very technical at several points but the chills and thrills offered by the horror part of the drama override the technicalities. The visual impact of the horror drama is often repulsive as the facehuggers look terrible and spit a liquid which could rattle viewers. Since a lot of technical jargon is used in the course of the investigations, it could put off viewers. However, the drama overall does send chills down the audience’s spines. Dialogues are okay.
Cailee Spaeny does a fine job as Rain Caradine. David Jonsson is first-rate as Andy. Archie Renaux lends fair support in the role of Tyler. Isabela Merced leaves a mark, especially in the latter part of the drama, as Kay. Spike Fearn has his moments as Bjorn. Aileen Wu is convincing in the role of Navarro. Others lend fine support.
Fede Álvarez’s direction is impactful. Benjamin Wallfisch’s background music is quite good. Galo Olivares’ cinematography is of a fine standard. Production designing (by Naaman Marshall) is appropriate. Jake Roberts’ editing is reasonably sharp. Dubbing is nice.
On the whole, Alien: Romulus is a fair entertainer but it will not do much business as it is too technical and also because it has not been promoted on even a decent level, leave alone a massive scale.
Released on 23-8-’24 at Gemini (daily 2 shows) and other cinemas of Bombay thru UTV Software Communications Ltd. Publicity & opening: ordinary. …….Also released all over. Opening was dull at most of the places