So, in this flick, we’ve got Rain and her android pal Andy. They pretend they’re siblings while trying to ditch their dreary mining colony for a sunny planet where they can start fresh. But it’s not as easy as it sounds. The sneaky Weyland-Yutani corporation pulls a fast one on them with a fake deal. With no other choices, they buddy up with Tyler, who’s full of wild ideas like swiping cryo pods from this sketchy old space station for their escape plan.

Now, this space station’s definitely not winning any hotel awards—it’s practically falling apart and about to go kaboom. Oh, and it also has some creepy leftover android bits and clues about strange creatures that had taken out the crew before.

The movie tries throwing back to its “Alien” roots but adds some Disney-like twists. Directed by Fede Álvarez, it blends gritty B-movie vibes with nods to past films in the series. While he tosses in some fresh stuff here and there, you kinda get the feeling he’s sticking too close to what made earlier movies hit without bringing us something brand new.

“Alien: Romulus” seems caught up paying tribute to older films but kinda drifts off into nostalgia-ville. Still, there’s something neat about how characters interact with Andy—played by David Jonsson stepping onto the big screen after his stint on “Industry”. For Rain, Andy is more than just an android buddy; he’s almost family since he reminds her of her dad. The tricky bit? She can’t quite bring herself to tell Andy that going to the new planet means might spell the end of his usefulness.
So, there’s this android named Andy, and the storyline really revolves around him. To one of the crew members, though, Andy’s like the face of those evil corporations because machines like him caused his mom’s death. This guy seriously can’t stand androids thanks to that.

However, Andy is super important for their mission. Since he was made by Weyland-Yutani, he’s the only one who can open specific parts of the space station they need to get into. As if things weren’t complicated enough, at some point, a company module takes over Andy. It gives him an upgrade but messes with how he runs too.

The vibe here kinda reminds you of movies like Prometheus and Alien: Covenant because it digs deep into emotions and the whole anti-corporation thing that’s common in these stories. The director even goes old school by bringing Ian Holm’s character back as another android on board—but instead of going for new tech to make it realistic in an awkward way, they give the android a roughed-up look which ties back nicely to vibes from the first movie.

The film isn’t all about Ridley Scott-style storytelling either. In its middle part, it switches gears into James Cameron-style territory with a wild scene at an alien hive crawling with xenomorphs—which is intense! Besides tying together some plot threads from Prometheus genetic experiments and giving shoutouts to Alien: Resurrection along with inspirations taken right outta the “Alien: Isolation” video game plays up through chaos-packed on-phone broadcasts too.

About one-third through…
Most of the movie fits together really well. Just when you think the story’s done, there’s a big showdown that adds more to it. It’s kind of like the final standoff in Scott’s escape pod but goes on for a bit too long and gets a tad complicated. Maybe they could’ve saved this part for another sequel instead of stretching this film out.

There are also several close calls with aliens doing their usual creepy growling and spitting thing, as if they’re giving folks time to figure out how to beat them!

Anyway, after all those heavy sequels, especially after number three (not even going to start on those Predator crossovers!), returning to what made the series cool in the first place is pretty refreshing. It’s not super groundbreaking but feels like an enjoyable remix with some clever new touches.

Álvarez really nails it here with some fresh ideas! Cailee Spaeny isn’t exactly Ripley when it comes to being a tough fighter, but she holds her ground and does an awesome job. Definitely worth checking out!