Alien: Romulus first reactions hail it as one of franchise’s best

Fresh off of its first screening, Alien: Romulus is being heralded for its creature design, stunning third act and more.

No doubt Alien: Romulus has been one of our most anticipated movies of 2024. Despite the overall tepid — or Alien 3-level — response to everything after James Cameron’s Aliens, the franchise maintains a strong fan base. So, how does Romulus rank amongst the other entries? Are we going to check it out on opening weekend or are we going to get away from her?

With Alien: Romulus having screened earlier this week ahead of its August 16th release, let’s check out some of the initial reactions from social media:

So happy to report @fedalvar’s #AlienRomulus is fantastic. The two hour runtime flies by and both Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson are so good. Loved the use of practical effects. You don’t have to have seen any of the other Alien movies to watch this. But it would help. pic.twitter.com/eo2EZxTNnj

— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) August 13, 2024

#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

Alien: Romulus pays perfect homage to the original, using practical effects whenever possible. This works so well that the CGI stands out when used. It is slow to start but man, once it gets going, you will be on the edge of your seat until the very end! #AlienRomulus pic.twitter.com/1o3urLGSiV

— Tessa Smith – Mama’s Geeky (@MamasGeeky) August 13, 2024

The high praise for Romulus is one thing but calling out a stellar third act in particular drums up even more excitement for the movie than there has been before. Indeed, it seems that it will be firing on all cylinders in that finale:

HOLY MOTHER OF XENOMORPHS #AlienRomulus ABSOLUTELY FUCKS!! yall do NOTTT understand!!@fedalvar thank you so much sir for the love and attention that went into this film as it is a masterclass in continuing an iconic franchise!!

THAT ENDING!!

RIDLEY WILL BE BEYOND PLEASED!!! pic.twitter.com/8IB9ffhLzc

— PCP (@rotator_) August 12, 2024

#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… pic.twitter.com/vEaiz5966B

— Rachel Leishman (@RachelLeishman) August 13, 2024

We pretty much knew that the creature designs would be a major draw, too, but it’s awesome to hear that this holds on the big screen. Obviously the Xenomorph designs are some of the most iconic creatures in film history thanks to H.R. Giger. Even in the worst of the Aliens franchise they are still a sight to behold; but now that we know Romulus looks to be ranking possibly in the top three of the series, director Fede Álvarez has a combo that looks to be just what the series needs. (Appropriately enough, Romulus is set between the events of 1979’s Alien and 1986’s Aliens.)

As for other industry reactions, Ridley Scott himself praised Alien: Romulus to the director after a private screening, saying, “Fede, what can I say? It’s f*cking great.” And this is the guy who directed the original Alien! Then again, he is also responsible for Covenant, so…

As for what else we can expect with Romulus, here is the plot: “The sci-fi/horror-thriller takes the phenomenally successful Alien franchise back to its roots: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.”

Now that the first reactions to Alien: Romulus are out, are you more excited for the movie? Are you surprised it has lived up to the hype?