The hype for Alien: Romulus has been immense as the eighth installment to the long-running franchise is set to hit the theaters for a larger audience. But before that, the movie had a premiere for a select audience, and critics. Following the premiere, the early reactions to the Fede Álvarez movie are out online.
Alien: Romulus— The Ultimate Terror In Space
Alien: Romulus. Image Credit: 20th Century Studios
Alien franchise veteran Ridley Scott’s applause enhances the depth of the movie as it meets the very standard of the franchise. Fede Álvarez aimed to create a claustrophobic atmosphere in space for his characters of 20-somethings, trapped in space with the terrorizing xenomorph. “If I ever tell a story in that world, I would definitely be interested in those kids when they reach their early twenties,” he said of the premise of the narrative explaining the inspiration of the movie from an extended Special Edition cut of Aliens of James Cameron where a bunch of kids running around the colony was seen in the film.
In Álvarez’s entry to the franchise, they are grown up and embroiled in the space horror, “It is one of those things that you get enough of [the creature.] And I think there’s just that claustrophobic aspect of it, horror in its best version [in Alien],” the director told Remezcla.
But fear has been the ultimate ingredient, “Usually it reaches its peak when usually there’s just one survivor, right? But one thing is to be the last person running around your neighborhood or whatever, but to be the last person in a spaceship away from any other human? It’s a really, truly horrific feeling,” Álvarez added.
Alien: Romulus sure brought all the promises but the reactions from the critics are out and here’s what they have said about the movie.
Alien: Romulus Early Reactions
A still from Alien: Romulus. Image Credit: 20th Century Studios
The early reactions to Alien: Romulus are fairly decent only with some critics calling the movie not for them. Still, the movie makes a compelling case to be a potential box-office magnet as most reviews of the film have teased the prowess of the director as he almost perfectly landed the latest installment of the movie.
ALIEN: ROMULUS is the best Alien movie since Aliens.
The perfect bridge between the sci-fi horror of Scott's original with the thrilling action of Cameron's sequel.
It gets more thrilling with every scene, culminating in a mind-blowing final act that proves Fede Álvarez never… pic.twitter.com/coJcpafZsT
— Jonathan Sim (@TheJonathanSim) August 13, 2024
There’s a lot about ALIEN: ROMULUS I like — some truly creative moments in the first two acts that I REALLY dug.
However, the finale takes a BIG swing that just didn’t work for me and left me feeling underwhelmed.
A creative but flawed ALIEN film, however:
PROMETHEUS > ROMULUS pic.twitter.com/tFx8cAe88E
— Jake Hamilton (@JakesTakes) August 13, 2024
Alien: Romulus takes a bit to get going but turns to true horror in the third act, and has some similarities with previous Fede Alvarez films. Some decent surprises and callbacks, to be sure. The facehuggers gave me the creeps, but that’s me having a spider thing.#AlienRomulus pic.twitter.com/FHDWK8002y
— Joey Magidson (@JoeyMagidson) August 13, 2024
ALIEN: ROMULUS: probably the best one since ALIENS, at least in terms of the tension it creates. Definitely plays some of the greatest hits of the series but in a fun way, and Fede Álvarez directs it really well. Visually terrific, and yes, the third act is BONKERS. #AlienRomulus pic.twitter.com/tDC0LED5Ok
— Shaurya Chawla (@_ShauryaChawla) August 13, 2024
I worry people are over-hyping the third act of #AlienRomulus, but the movie’s a banger. It’s gross, gory, and surprising. Most of all, @fedalvar made a fun f***ing film that is worthy of the franchise’s legacy. See it in IMAX. I can’t wait to for a second time. https://t.co/CIb8gnGZV8
— Jason Marshall🏳️🌈 (He/Him) (@jmarsha22) August 13, 2024
I was able to see an early screening of @AlienAnthology tonight on @screenxusa and you can tell that Fede Alvarez is a true fan of the franchise with a keen eye and knowledge of what fans wanted cause man, oh man, does he deliver. #AlienRomulus #SeeMoreOnScreenX pic.twitter.com/i8XEqNVM3i
— Natalie needs more hours in a day. (@MovieLvr4Life) August 14, 2024
#AlienRomulus is a rollercoaster of emotions, with sound design that’s a symphony of terror. The sound design is phenomenal – it's a character in itself. Fede Alvarez has crafted a terrifying, visually stunning masterpiece. pic.twitter.com/KSXmEcnRW6
— Anthony (@Anone251) August 13, 2024
Fede Alvarez’s #AlienRomulus is gnarly, gripping & gorgeously bleak (everything from the story to Olivares’ cinematography to Wallfisch’s score). Innovatively delivering smart, savvy stuff, subtly playing the greatest hits. Cailee Spaeny & David Jonsson dominate. This rules! pic.twitter.com/kEuDZku2Oz
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) August 13, 2024
Alien: Romulus is set to hit the theaters on August 16.
