Expected in August at the cinema, Alien Romulus was screened in front of an audience of journalists in Paris, who judged the first minutes of the film by Fede Alvarez who promised to return to the sources of the saga, that is to say to its claustrophobic atmosphere and creatures more organic and sticky.
First 15 minutes ofAlien: Romulusa real return to basics
Exit Ridley Scott and two rather controversial films (Alien Prometheus (2012) and Covenant (2017)), the reins of the Alien saga are now entrusted to Fede Alvarez, Uruguayan director behind the remake of‘Evil Dead Or Don’t Breathe, and big fan of the license. The promise – on paper – of very gory sequences and a return to horror in homage to the first two films in the license. The director was present in Paris to present fifteen minutes of his film and answer a few questions from the journalists present on site. The latter were then able to deliver their first impressions of the film expected on August 14 in dark rooms.
We quickly feel the inspiration of Scott (producer of Romulus by the way) with this claustrophobic feeling of being stuck in space with a creature that is hunting us. It’s also difficult not to see in Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla, Civil War), a potential young Ripley. Whether in an artistic direction mixing digital effects and practical effects – the return to the use of models gives character to the general aesthetic – or in the construction of its characters, Alien: Romulus seems to summon the first four films of the frankness, while mixing mediums. It would seem that Alien: Romulus manages to breathe new life into the saga by combining the inspirations of the first four films while giving it a more modern aspect.
– Geek Journal
We really appreciate the atmospheres created by Alien: Romulus. James Cameron certainly wouldn’t have spit on these vintage sets and subdued lighting. This visual and technical accuracy is coupled with sound editing close to perfection, thereby reinforcing the immersion in this suffocating closed space. All integrated into a staging strongly inspired by the canons of science fiction from the 1980s and 1990s. What a treat!
– the pop point
more sexual and organic Xenomorphs
The creatures are particularly successful, and fans will have the opportunity to observe the facehuggers and the Xenomorph like they have never seen them before. We return to a more organic and repugnant creature design, openly emphasizing the sexual dimension of the monsters, as in the original drawings of HR Giger. During this handful of sequences, Fede Álvarez also shows a certain talent for raising the tension and stakes of a scene, thanks to good ideas, whether it is a door that struggles to open, or a simple device to X-rays… Formidably effective.
– Digital
In space, no one hears you scream,” we warned in “Alien, the Eighth Passenger.” And this is exactly the reaction that Fede Alavarez wants to provoke in his audience, with this film which promises to be extremely effective, with Cailee Spaeny in the main role, and a group of young actors who will have to face the the most fearsome creature in the galaxy. Fifteen minutes is short to get a precise idea, but it was enough to give the author of these lines an irrepressible desire to discover the film in its entirety
– Cnews
In a few minutes, we are caught up in the claustrophy that emerges from each shot, especially since all this is magnified with a camera carefully placed in the right place to amplify each frame, it is a great beauty, let’s not have not afraid of words. In any case, the watchword with this Alien Romulus is the desire to return to the sources, which is what we have always been passionate about for the Alien franchise, especially since Ridley Scott has become a little too departed from the initial intention with Prometheus and Alien Covenant, two films that have been criticized and which are nevertheless the work of the original creator. Fede Alvarez, he is of our generation, and he, like us, grew up under the impact and influence of Alien and the works of Ridley Scott, with whom he worked closely.
– Games News
The filmmaker seems to have found the right balance between a revival of the classic elements of Alien, with respect for the original designs, and new elements imagined by Fede Álvarez. Which corresponds to the DNA of the saga, since the directors after Ridley Scott have all brought a form of renewal while keeping the spirit of Alien.
– Cinema Series
Fede Alvarez seems to have gone back to basics in his construction of horror, but also in his practical effects, his lighting effects and his design of the Xenomorphs, more organic.
We recall thatAlien: Romulus is located between Alien, the eighth passenger and Aliens, the return, the first two parts of the franchise. It follows a group of young colonists exploring an abandoned orbital station without knowing that it is home to the most evolved form of organic life in existence. This is in any case promising. See you this summer to see if Alien Romulus confirms or not the hopes placed in him, that of a return of the saga to its best level.
