An important point of action in Alien: Romulus is how a hyper-intelligent, single-minded android puts the survival of humanity above what it means to be human. The android therefore creates a hybrid organism by combining the DNA of humans and the alien Xenomorph, referring to this as the next and necessary step in evolution. The film itself seems to stem from the same philosophy. The survival of the franchise is put above what the franchise stood for: breathing new and original ideas into the world of science fiction. Ridley Scott’s Alien defined the science fiction genre in many ways, through its exploration of cosmic horror, existentialism, ethical dilemmas surrounding AI, and more. Romulus echoes all of these tried and tested themes. But the film does so conscientiously and with such a genuine respect for the genre that its shortcomings are almost forgiven.

In terms of visual grammar and mood, Alien: Romulus is an uncompromising ode to 80s sci-fi films. The architecture of the world is both futuristic and brutalist, the design of the technology is muted and in no hurry to show you how futuristic it is. To add to the grimy atmosphere of a doomed world, almost everything is shrouded in shadow and smoke. When we reach the abandoned spaceship where most of the film takes place, the design and lighting strongly emphasize the sense of desolation and doom inherent in the story. For example, even the spaceship’s airlock is designed like a collection of retractable rotor blades. Unfortunately, this homage to 80s sci-fi films becomes a problem when it transcends aesthetics and seeps into the story. The crew of miners trying to get the abandoned spaceship running again is highly reminiscent of any crew from old sci-fi thrillers. There’s the level-headed leader, an impulsive man-child with a hatred of androids encoded in the backstory, the Michelle Rodriguez-type woman, the innocent but distrustful android, and the humble protagonist. As soon as the characters are introduced, you know what their fate will be.

The dialogue is written as if the film were having a one-on-one conversation with the audience. Every time a character makes a seemingly questionable decision, we’re told exactly how it makes sense a second later – “Why did you give us guns if if we shoot the aliens they’d release their acidic blood, which would damage the ship?”, “The guns might scare the aliens.”