Programming the new releases keeps me pretty busy, but every now and again I find the time to rewatch an entire franchise – all in service of our programme of course and absolutely nothing to do with how much I enjoy watching people being picked off one-by-one.
The Alien franchise is incredibly patchy but all the more interesting for it. It all began with Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic sci-fi horror starring Sigourney Weaver, which needs no introduction. Seven years later, James Cameron (The Terminator, Titanic) brought us Aliens; a sequel which arguably sustains the quality of the first film, but asks us to experience the world through Cameron’s unique lense, resulting in an 80s action epic with more memorable quotes than you can shake a fiery stick at.
1992 saw the release of Alien³, the directorial debut of little-known music video director David Fincher (Fight Club, The Social Network). The production was notoriously troubled; several directors came and went during pre-production, Fincher battled with producers over creative control and wasn’t involved in the final cut. In 2009, he even said ‘…a lot of people hated Alien³, but no one hated it more than I did’. It wasn’t the film fans wanted, with its strange premise and erasure of beloved characters right out of the gate, but it wasn’t a total disaster. Fincher managed to create something wildly visually inventive and, as this article states, it’s ‘…flawed but certainly not without merit’.
I won’t dwell on Alien: Resurrection (1997). Despite having director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie, The City of Lost Children) at the helm and a nice appearance from Winona Ryder, this one feels a little silly and hasn’t really stood the test of time.
Then came Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), best thought of as a pair, as you need to have seen Prometheus to have a clue what’s going on in Covenant. These saw Scott back in the director’s chair and let loose with some big ideas, huge budgets and sadly no one to point out the gaping, unforgivable plot hole of allowing the crews of both films to visit new planets without so much as a helmet on. Fool me once Ridley, shame on you.
Despite numerous flaws, I’m oddly endeared to these two. Visually breath-taking, they lean more into the realm of science fiction and ask big questions. Yes, Prometheus’ script is egregiously flawed, but both films present distinct and effective leads (Noomi Rapace, Katherine Waterston) and feature a character which elevates them both; android David (Michael Fassbender). Fassbender is utterly brilliant and it’s through David that the films explore many of the big questions. Go in with lower expectations in the common-sense department and you just might appreciate these for the unique, visually stunning thought experiments they are.
Which brings us to Alien: Romulus, set between Alien and Aliens. Director Fede Alvarez sought advice from Scott and is quoted as saying, ‘He's been really helpful… he has a ruthless approach to editing, which is whatever is not needed or doesn't move the story forward needs to be cut out… he just really helped to polish it and really give it that identity, that it really feels Alien’.
Alvarez is not kidding. This latest entry into the series has set design akin to the original film; the world feels grubby and worn, and the tech feels old and suitably janky. The premise is solid, and the film takes its time for world building as well as character introductions; an absolute necessity for a film in which we really must care about a character before they are plunged into peril. Romulus also contains nods to other films in the franchise. You don’t need to have seen anything past Alien, but if you have, there are little treasures buried for you. The horror and action of the film is expertly done, with some inspired set pieces taking the terror to new heights. Crucially, our two leads Cailee Spaeny (Civil War) and David Jonsson (Rye Lane) are infinitely watchable and craft two great character additions to the series.
The only way to experience Alien: Romulus is on the big screen. In space, no one can hear you scream. In our Barbican Cinema 1? Well, we will probably hear you, but you certainly won’t be the only one.
