Alien: Romulus early reactions are in - this is what the critics are saying

Alien: Romulus is the newest movie in the sprawling Alien franchise. At the helm is horror maestro Fede Alvarez, with Ridley Scott taking on producing duties this time around.

Alvarez is no stranger to working within existing franchises. His version of The Evil Dead is, quite rightly, seen as a triumph thanks to the way it handles its source material.

With Alien: Romulus, Alvarez has been clear about his intention: this is a movie that slots in between Alien and Aliens timeline-wise and its DNA is a hybrid of both, layering the horror elements of the first movie on to the action beats of the second.

Does it work? Well, this is what the critics are saying... and they are certainly divided about the final act...

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Germain Lussier calls the movie 'a bonkers roller coaster ride through the previous six Alien movies'.

#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. pic.twitter.com/mY8Hkbe0gD
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) August 13, 2024

Variety's Jazz Tangcay calls it "one of the better films in the franchise" and the practical effects "are so good that the film gave me nightmares."

#AlienRomulus The bitch 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. pic.twitter.com/Z46KNWxYhn
— Jazz Tangcay (@jazzt) August 9, 2024

Courtney Howard wrote on X that the movie was "Innovatively delivering smart, savvy stuff, subtly playing the greatest hits."

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! pic.twitter.com/kEuDZku2Oz
— Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) August 13, 2024

Eric Vespe noted that the movie was: "absolutely gorgeous and somehow honors every single movie that came before."

Alien: Romulus is absolutely gorgeous and somehow honors every single movie that came before. Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson are great leads, and the alien effects are so satisfying. The finale will be divisive, but I loved it. Big fan of this one.
— Eric Vespe (@EricVespe) August 13, 2024

While Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture wasn't keen on the past nods but reckons that it "leans heavily into its horror origins to craft a relentless, visceral thrill ride that starts off slowly and increases in intensity until you’re left gasping for breath by the end."

ALIEN: ROMULUS leans heavily into its horror origins to craft a relentless, visceral thrill ride that starts off slowly and increases in intensity until you’re left gasping for breath by the end. Devoid of any thematic depth, it incorporates so many winks, nods, and moments of… pic.twitter.com/QSKZdj6cwm
— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) August 13, 2024

Full reviews are imminent and we will update once they land. Until then, head to our 20 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Alien feature.