FILM REVIEW: ALIEN ROMULUS (15) ESP RATING: 4/5

This is arguably the third best film in the Alien franchise.

While there’s still an argument for the underrated Alien 3, this compelling thrill-ride will no doubt ride high on anyone’s list for the series – being set in the timeline between Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979) and James Cameron’s Aliens (1986) classics.

The rest – Alien: Resurrection, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant – were middling fare at absolute best, and as for the Predator collaborations, the less said the better.

Director Fede Alvarez – who has already heavily impressed in the horror genre with Don’t Breathe and the Evil Dead reimagining – really encapsulates the feel of the franchise by taking elements of the aforementioned critically-acclaimed movies and bringing it back to its roots. Also earmarking 2014’s Alien: Isolation video-game as another point of inspirational reference.

Straight away the movie starts by paying homage to the original, as a Weyland-Yutani corporation space probe detects an organic object containing a xenomorph, from the wreckage of the doomed USCSS Nostromo vessel.

So basically Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley is still in stasis drifting through space in her escape vessel as the events of Romulus take place.

The main character is twentysomething orphan Rain Carradine (Priscilla’s Cailee Spaeny), who works with her adoptive – reprogrammed synthetic human – brother Andy (David Jonsson), as a miner for the oppressive Weyland-Yutani. Andy, by the way, is just the type of sweet sibling anyone would want to look after.

So when her contract is forcibly extended, the disillusioned Rain (along with Andy) agrees to join her ex-boyfriend Tyler (Archie Renaux) and a ragtag group of young scavengers – Bjorn (Spike Fearn), Kay (Isabela Merced) and Navarro (Aileen Wu) – on a mission to retrieve cryostasis chambers from a derelict spaceship-cum-station (aka Romulus) hovering in the atmosphere above the colony planet of Jackson’s Star.

These chambers will allow them to escape to the safe haven of planet Yvaga and away from company clutches. With Andy’s ability to interface with the onboard computer system being crucial to the quest.

But alas, things don’t go to plan when certain acid-for-blood xenomorph’s are inadvertently awoken on board, and facehuggers are unleashed – with one attaching itself to pilot Navarro.

You know what happens next as all hell breaks loose – and the expected Alien carnage ensues. To make matters worse the ship is also knocked off course, and is slowly moving on a collision course with the planet’s icy rings.

And while there’s an argument for saying it’s the ‘same old story’ being re-hashed, Alvarez manages to serve up some great fan service by manufacturing some eerily-tense set-pieces – see creeping past facehugger scene for proof – that the franchise made its name on, that are far superior to recent efforts.

There’s even brief continuity with a version of Ian Holm’s android Ash from the first film – known as science officer Rook in this – being incorporated into proceedings.

The final third may prove a bit divisive for some – which will move the series forwards or back depending on personal tastes – but this is exceptionally claustrophobic fun that deserves immense props.

Spaeny, Jonsson, Renaux and co all impress – and actually make you care for some of the characters – as this all pieces together into a renaissance for the franchise.

At certain points it gets so intense you’ll hear a pin drop in the cinema – as your heart rate pulsates faster than a pulse rifle...

Rating: 4/5

Gavin Miller