15/33
Director Fede Alvarez turned to the special effects team from Alien 2 (1986) to work on the creatures
Story
While scouting the depths of an abandoned space station, a group of young space colonists come across the most terrifying life form in the universe. Director Fede Alvarez explains the rule he established on Alien: Romulus that “if it can be practical, it will be practical,” so the cast would always act against a physical representation of the xenomorph. Physical sets, practical creatures, and miniatures were used whenever possible to help ground the later visual effects work. When Rain turns off the ship’s gravity and shoots all the aliens, all of their blood hangs in the air in long, blurry patterns. Real-life zero gravity causes liquids to form into spherical shapes, not spread out in long, flat clumps like in the movie.
Alien Theme Written by Jerry Goldsmith
Andy: The solution for a claustrophobic astronaut is to give him more space. The 20th Century Studios fanfare freezes and becomes ominous, like in Alien 3 (1992), leading into the film’s opening scene. The logo itself suffers a burst of static and turns green. Featured in Nerdrotic: The Acolyte: Force is Female CONFIRMED? The Death of Cinema – The Real BBC @MauLer @HeelvsBabyface (2024).
Because the rest of it is so good
I had high hopes for this one and what can I say: I just went back to the theater after the first showing because I couldn’t wait to see it a second time. Remember how we always wondered if Alien and Blade Runner took place in the same universe? The world building was so well done and engaging that I was almost disappointed to remember after 30 minutes that I was going to see an Alien movie. Almost. The way the characters are built in relation to each other and against what’s going on is masterful.
There’s no downtime, always something happening
I also love how the film thematically and story-wise brings together ALL 6 films that came before it (there’s a knot in each of them and I’m a sucker for a good sweet treat if it’s done on purpose) while doing its own thing. Because it’s a Fede Alvarez film, it’s as fresh and dynamic as the other films he’s made. Finally, you just have to watch the opening: as soon as the computer turns on, you know where you are and you know it’s going to be as respectful and family-friendly as possible. Granted, there are liberties taken with the tradition and some will rightly argue about that, but I personally can forgive those shortcuts because they serve the pacing (and every film has its own specific Xenomorphs anyway). It checks the boxes, but it’s also unique and special.
It was worth the wait
Whether they’re exploring the stars, escaping dystopias, or making the world a better place, these women are what science fiction is all about.
