Alien: Romulus first critics reactions are in with heaps of praise (2024)

With just three days before Alien: Romulus hits theaters, the first critic reactions from the highly-anticipated sci-fi thriller are in.

Director Fede Alvarez's thriller is set between the original 1979 classic Alien and the 1986 sequel Aliens, telling a brand new story within the franchise.

While the full reviews aren't in quite yet, social media reactions from several critics across the country have started flooding in on X (formerly Twitter).

Many of them praise writer-director Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead remake) for film, insisting that it isn't full of 'fan service' like many new franchise films are.

One critic - The Hollywood Reporter's Borys Kit - even claimed that the film takes the 40-year franchise, 'in a crazy new direction.'

With just three days before Alien : Romulus hits theaters, the first critic reactions from the highly-anticipated sci-fi thriller are in

Director Fede Alvarez's thriller is set between the original 1979 classic Alien and the 1986 sequel Aliens , telling a brand new story within the franchise.

One critic - The Hollywood Reporter's Borys Kit - even claimed that the film takes the 40-year franchise, 'in a crazy new direction'

Many of them praise writer-director Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead remake) for film, insisting that it isn't full of 'fan service' like many new franchise films are

'Alien: Romulus: Has all the great hallmarks of what you would expect in an Alien flick but never feels like it’s pandering to nostalgia or fan service…and even goes into a crazy new direction. Fede Alvarez & the cast just gave birth to summer’s best movie,' Kit tweeted after attending the film's premiere.

Variety's Jazz Tangcay added, '#AlienRomulus The b***h is back. Was skeptical going in, but this is easily one of the better films in the franchise.'

Fede Álvarez doesn't disappoint. Awesome sound design and world-building. The practical effects are so good that the film gave me nightmares,' she added.

MovieWeb's Richard Fink tweeted, 'Ireally dug #AlienRomulus! It’s a gory monster movie with some truly inventive set pieces. Act 3 had me gasping in horror.'

He added, 'It does play like a best of the Alien franchise for better and worse (one element I did not like) but it feels like the sequels finally found their footing.'

Gizmodo's Germain Lussier added, '#AlienRomulus is a bonkers roller coaster ride through the previous six Alien movies, using bits of all them, to tell a focused, mostly standalone story filled with glorious gore & scares. It gets better as it goes along, ending with a phenomenal big swing of a third act.'

The early reactions weren't all positive, though, with Next Best Movies' Brendan Hodges calling it, 'mostly a gratuitous nostalgia play.'

He added the film remixes elements from the past films, 'with some occasionally strong thrills, but in a franchise famous for its psychosexual weirdness, it's the safest, blandest and most vapid the series has ever been. I did not love it.'

Variety's Jazz Tangcay added, '#AlienRomulus The b***h is back. Was skeptical going in, but this is easily one of the better films in the franchise.'

MovieWeb's Richard Fink tweeted, 'I really dug #AlienRomulus! It’s a gory monster movie with some truly inventive set pieces. Act 3 had me gasping in horror'

Gizmodo's Germain Lussier added, '#AlienRomulus is a bonkers roller coaster ride through the previous six Alien movies, using bits of all them, to tell a focused, mostly standalone story filled with glorious gore & scares. It gets better as it goes along, ending with a phenomenal big swing of a third act'

The early reactions weren't all positive, though, with Next Best Movies' Brendan Hodges calling it, 'mostly a gratuitous nostalgia play.'

Good Day Chicago's Jake Hamilton wasn't completely on board either, tweeting, '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'

Neon Splatter's Rob Dean added, '#AlienRomulus is a pretty good movie—before it all falls apart. Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson are *Excellent*. Dope sets and costuming. A few thrilling sequences! But too much nostalgia, too little logic, and a hugely disappointing (yet overly familiar) ending ruin it all'

Freelance critic Courtney Howard added, '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!'

Alien: Romulus is shockingly good. This movie is so inventive with horror, thrills, and visuals while never crossing into gratuitous blood or gore. It emulates the original Alien movies so well. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor in the third act. That was insane. Wow.

Good Day Chicago's Jake Hamilton wasn't completely on board either, tweeting, '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.'

Neon Splatter's Rob Dean added, '#AlienRomulus is a pretty good movie—before it all falls apart. Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson are *Excellent*. Dope sets and costuming. A few thrilling sequences! But too much nostalgia, too little logic, and a hugely disappointing (yet overly familiar) ending ruin it all.'

Freelance critic Courtney Howard added, '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!'

ComicBook.com's Brandon Davis added, 'Alien: Romulus is shockingly good. This movie is so inventive with horror, thrills, and visuals while never crossing into gratuitous blood or gore. It emulates the original Alien movies so well. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor in the third act. That was insane. Wow.'

Alien: Romulus first critics reactions are in with heaps of praise (2024)

FAQs

Does Alien Romulus have a post-credit scene? ›

If you haven't gotten the chance to see the movie yet, you're probably wondering if it's the latest to have a post-credit scene. Considering there's a new Alien series titled Alien: Earth around the corner, an end tag wouldn't be surprising. However, Alien: Romulus does not have a post-credit scene.

What will alien Romulus be about? ›

Is Alien: Romulus a reboot? ›

'Alien: Romulus' is both a sequel and a prequel. Here's how it fits into the 'Alien' timeline. "Alien: Romulus" follows a group of scavengers as they break into a derelict space station. But the crew discovers Xenomorphs in the station and have to fight to escape.

Is there an after credit scene in the invitation? ›

Fortunately, Nathalie Emmanuel's character seemed consistent, and many others too. So you even after the reveal, you could understand why they are acting that way. I also like the after credit scene. I don't know if it hints a sequel, or just an epilogue but it is interesting.

Will Alien: Romulus be rated R? ›

(Scott is a producer on Romulus.) The R-rated movie tells the story of young colonists who come across a derelict space station and encounter the horror of the alien creature that is the enduring star of the franchise.

What age will Alien: Romulus be? ›

Age 15+ Intensely gripping sci-fi horror with gore, shocks and cursing. Available in theaters.

Is David going to be in Alien: Romulus? ›

Cailee Spaeny, impressive in Priscilla and Civil War, continues her star-making run of eye-catching leads in the role of Rain, and Rye Lane's David Jonsson is an intriguing, uneasy presence as Rain's android “brother” Andy. Those around them, however, are less precisely defined.

Where does Alien: Romulus take place in the timeline? ›

When is “Alien: Romulus” set? “Alien: Romulus” is set between the first “Alien” (which took place in 2122) and “Aliens (which took place in 2183). A lot happened in between those two movies, including the company's rebranding to Weyland-Yutani...

Is there an extra scene in New Mutants? ›

The New Mutants Has No Post-Credits Scene, But You Should Still Stay After The Credits - IMDb.

Does Prometheus have anything to do with the Alien movies? ›

The keen fan will recognize strands of Alien's DNA, so to speak, but the ideas tackled in this film are unique, large and provocative." In June 2011, Scott and Lindelof confirmed that Prometheus takes place in the same universe as the events of the Alien series.

Which Alien to watch after Prometheus? ›

Alien: Covenant (2017)

Still in prequel mode here, as Alien: Covenant is a sequel to Prometheus, the story picks up 11 years later and follows a colonization ship.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Francesca Jacobs Ret

Last Updated:

Views: 6078

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (48 voted)

Reviews: 95% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Francesca Jacobs Ret

Birthday: 1996-12-09

Address: Apt. 141 1406 Mitch Summit, New Teganshire, UT 82655-0699

Phone: +2296092334654

Job: Technology Architect

Hobby: Snowboarding, Scouting, Foreign language learning, Dowsing, Baton twirling, Sculpting, Cabaret

Introduction: My name is Francesca Jacobs Ret, I am a innocent, super, beautiful, charming, lucky, gentle, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.