As film genres go, sci-fi is huge. It’s a genre with a lot of rich and interesting corners that filmmakers can explore and it’s a genre that lends itself well to franchises, with one film often setting up a whole world to be explored across various characters and narratives. Sci-fi also pairs well with other genres, namely horror and when you mix that genre-bending quality with franchise potential, you get some of the most iconic film series of our time, like the Alien franchise. Spanning seven films to date and a television series, it’s one of the first franchises people think of when they think of sci-fi horror and now, the film that breathed new life into the enduring series is also a streaming it, two years after release.
Directed by Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe filmmaker Fede Alvarez, 2024’s Alien: Romulus is currently racing its way up HBO Max’s streaming charts as though it were being chased by a Xenomorph. As of this article’s writing, the film is currently #3 on the streamer’s Top Movies list, just behind first position One Battle After Another and Immaculate according to Flix Patrol. It marks renewed success for the film, which had already done very well both at the box office and with critics when it was first released.
Alien: Romulus Offers a Fresh Restart for the Alien Franchise (And Goes Full Horror)
Image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
In Alien: Romulus, the story moves away from some of the more familiar characters and stories and instead centers on a new group of characters. Set between the events of 1979’s Alien and 1986’s Aliens, the film follows six young space colonists who attempt to escape from their surroundings only to end up on an abandon space station where they discover they are not alone, something that turns into a fight for survival. The film stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Isabela Merced, Archie Renaux, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu.
Alien: Romulus is a thrilling but terrifying movie and received particular praise for its visuals and effects. The film also manages to be something completely new but also stay in line with what Alien fans are used to, much of that resting on the shoulders of the movie’s incredible performances. Spaeny in particular received high praise for her role as Raine Carrdine. The film served to reinvigorate the respected franchise and a sequel film is in development. However, Alvarez will not be returning to direct. Instead, the filmmaker is writing the sequel and handing the project off for another filmmaker. Until that sequel arrives, however, fans can stream Alien: Romulus on HBO Max.
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