Alien: Romulus
Takes place between first two Alien films, focuses on young colonists raiding abandoned space station
The brief
Fede Álvarez brings his Evil Dead brutality to the Alien universe and absolutely nails the claustrophobic dread that made the original so effective. Cailee Spaeny anchors a young cast that actually feels like real people instead of xenomorph fodder, while the practical effects work is genuinely stomach-churning in the best way. The pacing builds tension like a vice grip, with Álvarez understanding that the scariest moments happen in the quiet spaces between attacks. If you loved the horror-forward approach of the first two Alien films and can handle seriously intense body horror, this is the franchise entry you've been waiting for.
The verdict
If you crave old-school Alien horror with genuine scares, claustrophobic tension, and seriously intense practical effects that will make your skin crawl, this is exactly the franchise return you've been waiting for. If you're squeamish about body horror or prefer your sci-fi more action-heavy than terror-focused, you'll want to skip this stomach-churning nightmare.
Watch with
- 👥 Horror fans who appreciate practical effects
- ⚠️ Anyone squeamish about body horror
Heads up
- Extreme graphic violence and gore (extreme)
- Intense body horror and mutation scenes (extreme)
- Frequent jump scares throughout (frequent)
- Characters killed in gruesome ways (frequent)
Credits
- Director
- Fede Álvarez
- Cast
- Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu, Rosie Ede
Official synopsis
While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with The Thing Expanded (2026)
Both feature isolated groups battling unstoppable alien horrors in confined spaces.
