Alien: Romulus first reactions call it a terrifying return to horror for the franchise, and the "summer's best movie"

2024-08-13

EntertainmentMoviesHorror MoviesAlien: RomulusAlien: Romulus first reactions call it a terrifying return to horror for the franchise, and the “summer’s best movie"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

Alien Romulus trailer

The first set of reactions to new horror movieAlien: Romulusare officially in, and it sounds like the Alien sequel has major potential to be a franchise favorite.

While not everyone has been completely sold, plenty of the early opinions comment on the scary nature of the movie, referencing its horror overtures. There’s also talk of a “wild” third act too, full of twists and turns. Check out some reactions below.

GamesRadar+’s Emily Murray wrote: “Admittedly found #AlienRomulus to be a mixed bag at times but the bonkers third act ultimately really won me over. Fede Álvarez goes all out and it’s wild! I do wish it was scarier with more character development, but a solid entry in the franchise I rather enjoyed.”

Variety’s Courtney Howard tweeted: “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!”

The Hollywood Reporter’s Borys Kit tweeted: “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.”

Discussing Film’s Andrew J. Salazar added: “ALIEN: ROMULUS isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. Rather, Fede Álvarez puts his fucked up spin on a classic horror story with some truly marvelous visual storytelling. It’s too nostalgic at times, but Fede has proved his worth for a trilogy.”

The Mary Sue’s Rachel Leishman wrote: “#AlienRomulus is the first time I have been terrified during one of the Alien movies. Cailee Spaeny’s Rain is a perfect character to follow on this journey and through Fede Álvarez’s twists and turns, you never really know where Romulus is headed. The 3rd act is truly WILD. I dig it.”

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Check out some more early reactions below, which are a little more mixed.

ALIEN ROMULUS undisputedly the scariest movie I’ve seen this year. Fede Alverez, you done it again.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/tFx8cAe88EAugust 13, 2024

Alien Romulus is a curious one. Effective scares, but every set piece feels like a video game level, theme park ride intro, or horror nights maze. Character work didn’t hit me at all either, and I’m an easy mark.It’s not for me. pic.twitter.com/kRayfGuoR4August 13, 2024

Alien: Romulus takes place between Ridley Scott’s original 1979 movie Alien andJames Cameron’s ’80s sequelAliens. The new movie follows a group of young space colonizers who come face to face with the universe’s most fearsome creatures “while scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station,” as per the official synopsis from 20th Century Studios.

Alien: Romulus hits theaters on August 16. For more, check out our guide on how to watch theAlien movies in order, or keep up withupcoming moviesheading your way this year.

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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis board game models and tokens laid out on a board

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

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4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

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