--- title: "Alien: Romulus: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/alien-romulus/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/alien-romulus" critics_score: 72 critics_reviews: 14 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Alien: Romulus (2024): what the critics said Critics' score 72 from 14 reviews: 9 positive, 5 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics agree that Alien: Romulus is a competent, frightening return to the franchise’s horror roots, and most also agree that it leans too hard on the two films it is imitating. The praise clusters around the same things: the practical effects and creature work, a zero-gravity set piece several reviews pick out, and the cast, with Cailee Spaeny’s lead and David Jonsson’s android Andy named again and again as the reasons the young crew hold attention. The reservations cluster just as tightly. Review after review uses some version of “greatest hits” to describe the callbacks, and a few find the third act overcooked or the middle muddled by nostalgia. The spread is wide. NME stands alone at the top with full marks, arguing the film expands the mythology. At the other end, the Financial Times finds it stuck in the past and The Guardian sees no reason for it to exist, while Vulture, weighing in months later, calls it forgettable. ## Evening Standard — Nick Howells Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 15 August 2024. The critic calls it a shudderingly effective knuckle-clencher that blasts the series back to gory life with relentless menace. It singles out the terrifying Xenomorph, practical effects, and Cailee Spaeny’s strong lead performance for praise while acknowledging minor plot improbabilities. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/alien-romulus-review-fede-alvarez-b1176451.html) ## Empire — John Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 August 2024. The review finds the film a smart interquel that blends the best of the original Alien and Aliens with strong craft and tension. It praises the tactile world-building, practical effects, and creature work while noting some formulaic elements and fan-service nods. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/alien-romulus/) ## Radio Times — Patrick Cremona Rating 4/5. 14 August 2024. The critic calls it the strongest Alien entry since Aliens, a well-directed and gnarly crowd-pleaser anchored by excellent performances. They single out the practical effects action sequences and a nightmarish final-act twist for delivering tense, engaging spectacle. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/scifi/alien-romulus-review/) ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 4/5. 15 August 2024. The critic hails the film as a fresh, ferocious and streamlined horror entry that strips the franchise back to basics effectively. They single out the inventive direction, zero-gravity sequences and the cast, especially Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson, for making the young crew compelling. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/alien-romulus-review-2024) ## The i Paper — Francesca Steele Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 14 August 2024. The review deems it a far better return to horror roots than recent prequels, with excellent pacing, practical effects, and jump scares. It praises the claustrophobic atmosphere and central performances by Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson but notes some overcooked elements in the third act. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/alien-romulus-review-ridley-scott-outdone-3226638) ## The AV Club Rating C+. 16 August 2024. Fede Álvarez brings squirm-inducing scares and franchise knowledge but struggles to bring new life or meaning to the series. The film offers plenty of practical gore and tension but feels void of insight into its themes. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/alien-romulus-review) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 14 August 2024. The critic finds it an efficient but derivative addition that recaptures some franchise strengths without advancing the property meaningfully. They single out Cailee Spaeny's action-hero turn and Fede Álvarez's grimy nightmarishness for providing solid thrills, while noting it feels like a footnote overall. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/alien-romulus-review/5196168.article) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 22 November 2024. The movie is blunt and sporadically entertaining, engineered to provide basic genre thrills and keep the IP alive. It gets the job done with functional aliens and gnarly effects but feels instantly forgettable and like a miscalculation overall. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-alien-romulus-gets-the-job-done-but-at-what-cost.html) ## Financial Times Rating ★★☆☆☆. 14 August 2024. The film suffers from jump scares, nightmares and an overdose of déjà vu that make it feel stuck in the past. While it attempts to blend elements of the early Alien films, the result is undermined by familiarity and lacks sufficient originality. [Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/64b378f9-f227-4870-a7eb-b47187c4b530) ## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh 14 August 2024. The critic finds 'Alien: Romulus' a very enjoyable entry, like pizza that’s good even when not great, thanks to its thrilling tactility and appealingly plucky cast. She singles out Cailee Spaeny’s empathetic performance as the determined hero Rain and the rich cinematography for praise. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-08-14/alien-romulus-review-cailee-spaeny-fede-alvarez-sci-fi-horror) ## Sight and Sound 16 August 2024. The critic praises the film as a back-to-basics return to the franchise's visceral horror roots under Fede Álvarez. They single out the strong performances, particularly David Jonsson as the android Andy, for adding depth amid the jump-scares and nostalgic callbacks. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/alien-romulus-terrifying-return-visceral-menace-original) ## The Guardian 14 August 2024. Fede Álvarez’s effort is a technically competent but fundamentally unoriginal back-to-basics return to the franchise’s roots that fails to justify another Alien film. The young cast and grungy setting are noted but the overall lack of freshness and new ideas is the main complaint. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/aug/14/alien-romulus-review-lack-originality-fede-alvarez-ridley-scott) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney 14 August 2024. The film is a greatest-hits compilation of the Alien franchise that mostly works, delivering sustained tension and big frights through practical effects and callbacks to the originals. Cailee Spaeny is compelling as the lead survivor in this flawed but pulse-pounding homage set between the first two films. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/alien-romulus-review-cailee-spaeny-fede-alvarez-1235973756/) ## The Times 18 August 2024. Alien: Romulus is a strong back-to-basics entry that successfully revives the horror of the original with effective zero-gravity action and a compelling new lead in Cailee Spaeny. It earns praise as one of the better recent instalments through its adaptive nods to the franchise’s past. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/hollywoodgate-review-the-taliban-break-into-hollywood-zggtmpwhk) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman 14 August 2024. The critic calls it one of the best 'Alien' sequels for delivering slimy creep-out goods better than the last three films, but notes the primal shock and awe is gone. He praises it as a grandly efficient greatest-hits thrill ride that is confidently spooky and ingeniously shot. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2024/film/reviews/alien-romulus-review-cailee-spaeny-1236105617/) ## NME — James Mottram Rating 5/5. 14 August 2024. This is a tense, taut thriller that captures what makes an Alien film work and expands the mythology effectively. It is singled out for the standout performance of David Jonsson as the android and the superb practical and visual effects. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/alien-romulus-review-3783797) ## Deadline — Damon Wise Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 August 2024. The film is better than expected as a thoughtful reimagining that homages the originals while adding nasty surprises of its own. It excels as a visual, gory experience with strong atmosphere and inventive set pieces like a zero-gravity action sequence. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2024/08/alien-romulus-review-nasty-surprises-fede-alvarez-faithful-but-inventively-tense-sequel-starring-cailee-spaeny-1236040313/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 14 August 2024. It is a gloriously fun mashup of the first two Alien films that delivers visceral thrills and pulpy video-game-style action. The film forges some of its own identity in the end with a memorable twist, though it leans heavily on franchise nostalgia. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/alien-romulus-review/) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Rating 7/10. 14 August 2024. The critic finds the film promising at the beginning and end but muddled in the middle by excessive nostalgia for past installments in the Alien franchise. They praise the mixture of practical and CGI effects, suspenseful sequences, and especially David Jonsson's performance as the android Andy. [Read the review](https://collider.com/alien-romulus-review/) ## Den of Geek — Max Evry Rating 3/5. 14 August 2024. The film succeeds in blending reverence for the franchise with some modern innovations and new lore elements while delivering graphic body horror. It stands out for the nuanced performance of David Jonsson as the android and strong technical execution in production design and cinematography. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/alien-romulus-review/) ## /Film — Chris Evangelista Rating 5.5/10. 14 August 2024. The critic finds the film disappointing overall despite solid production design, practical effects, and some effective scares, as it plays too safe with excessive callbacks and greatest-hits moments that leave it lacking originality or a distinct identity. The android character Andy stands out positively amid otherwise forgettable leads. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1641960/alien-romulus-review/) ## Film Stories 15 August 2024. The critic sees the film as a bloody, chaotic tribute to the franchise's strongest entries, with strong practical effects, a grimy retro feel, and effective horror jolts that evoke the originals. It falters by leaning too heavily on familiar callbacks and fan-service moments rather than forging a fully original path. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/alien-romulus-review-a-bloody-chaotic-tribute-to-the-series-best-films/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/alien-romulus.md