First reaction to Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus they are in, and the consensus seems to be: “blechh!”
Whether or not that’s a good thing depends entirely on your stance on the slime and the scumbag, but the sea of public reaction to the film emerging today includes some interesting details. Everyone seems to like it Romulus‘ the visual effects, and the praise of the actors Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson seem unanimous. But some criticism suggests that the film is too much of a reference to previous entries in the franchise, and you’ll either love it or hate its final act. Let’s dive in, starting with io9’s own Germain Lussier:
#AlienRomulus is a bonkers roller coaster ride through the previous six Alien movies, using bits and pieces of them all, to tell an intense, self-centered story full of thrills and scares. It gets better as it goes on, ending with a big swing in the third act. pic.twitter.com/mY8Hkbe0gD
– Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) August 13, 2024
#AlienRomulus it’s the first time I’ve been scared during an Alien movie. Cailee Spaeny’s Rain is the perfect character to follow on this journey and through Fede Álvarez’s portrayal, you never really know where Romulus is headed. Act 3 is truly WILD. i dig… pic.twitter.com/vEaiz5966B
– Rachel Leishman (@RachelLeishman) August 13, 2024
HOLY MOTHER OF XENOMORPHS #AlienRomulus ABSOLUTELY TRUE!! yall don’t understand!!@fedalvar thank you very much sir for the love and attention that went into this film as it is a masterclass in continuing a unique franchise!!
IT’S YOUR END!!
RIDLEY WILL BE ABSOLUTELY FUN!!! pic.twitter.com/8IB9ffhLzc
— PCP (@rotator_) August 12, 2024
#AlienRomulus which says Do not breathe in the atmosphere. Bad compilation of Scott’s prequels and the first two. It fights like hell to get its identity. Sometimes it works (& it’s sick & twisted), sometimes it doesn’t, but Fede’s touching sets give us the worst, dirtiest yet! pic.twitter.com/1NddrwWVtA
– Griffin Schiller (@griffschiller) August 13, 2024
Aliens are scary again! #AlienRomulus plays all the greatest hits, paying homage to the entire series before taking the most epic final act I’ve seen in a long time. The anti-corporate fangs have never been sharper and David Jonsson is the (milky) beating heart of the film. pic.twitter.com/t2X7ASVHek
– Rachel Shatto (@RachiePants) August 13, 2024
#AlienRomulus is an installment of the franchise packed with intense action. Fede Álvarez drives the wind. Some bad jump scares, a series of callbacks you didn’t get, and an iffy final act, but there’s a lot to enjoy here besides that for your fun bits. David Jonsson is an excellent host. pic.twitter.com/s6RR0lxb96
— Jeff Nelson (@SirJeffNelson) August 13, 2024
I am very happy to report @fedalvar‘s #AlienRomulus it’s fun. The two hour running time flies by and both Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson are fantastic. He liked the use of practical effects. You don’t have to have seen any other Alien movies to watch this. But it would help. pic.twitter.com/eo2EZxTNnj
– Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) August 13, 2024
#AlienRomulus it’s disgusting. It starts off slow and the rockets are a mess. I didn’t find the characters memorable, but it made up for it with some really bad scenes and creature design. It raises each act and, if you think it’s over, think again. I get why it’s rated R. pic.twitter.com/8lwLW2fpF3
– Kristen Maldonado (@kaymaldo) August 13, 2024
ALIEN: ROMULUS isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. Instead, Fede Álvarez tells a classic horror story with stunning visual storytelling. It’s very surprising at times, but Fede has shown his worth in the trilogy.
The update is coming to @DiscussingFilm pic.twitter.com/R1dGTgvhmy
— Andrew J. Salazar (@AndrewJ626) August 13, 2024
ALIEN: ROMULUS is mostly a freewheeling nostalgia game, remixing what came before with the occasional twist, but for a franchise famous for its gender-bending, it’s the safest, rawest and most absurd the series has ever been. I didn’t like it pic.twitter.com/n3RtpYvXgJ
— a dangerous monster named Brendan (@metaplexmovies) August 13, 2024
Alien Romulus is an excellent host. It’s an effective scare, but each set feels like a video game level, a theme park ride presentation, or a horror nights maze. The character work didn’t affect me at all, and I’m an easy character.
It’s not for me. pic.twitter.com/kRayfGuoR4
— Amelia Emberwing 🔪💋 (@ThatWitchMia) August 13, 2024
We can all decide for ourselves when Alien: Romulus will be in theaters this Friday, August 16.
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