By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

‘In space, no one can hear you scream’ ran the tagline for the 1st Alien film and these days the all-too-obvious sound of audience screaming was more likely the response to the poor quality of the franchise’s follow ups to its 2 big hits.

• Read on for reasons including how this is the best Alien film since Aliens in 1986

However, Alien: Romulus pulls the neat trick of placing itself chronologically between 1979’s original Alien and 1986’s arguably better sequel Aliens – an interquel if you will – and living up if never quite surpassing the brilliance of both.

Cailee Spaeny is hero Rain and reminds of a young Ripley, Sigourney Weaver who makes her West End debut later this year in those original films, playing a young miner who yearns to leave the sun-less Jackson’s Star colony and grabs her chance when friends spot a spaceship overhead they decide to plunder to salvage cryonic stasis chambers to enable their escape from the jobs they hate for a company exploiting them.

The derelict spaceship turns out to be a research outpost space station divided into sections named Romulus and Remus and the group inadvertently revive frozen alien facehuggers aboard which they then must escape.

Directed by Fede Álvarez, who co-wrote it with Rodo Sayagues, there are a number of crucial decisions which explain why this film, initially earmarked for a Hulu-only release, is now debuting in cinemas.

Released in 1979, 1 of the truly terrifying elements of the original Alien was that its pre-internet, vision of space technology was analogue, clunky, grungy and in no way inspiring confidence.

Alien: Romulus is set 20 years after that 1st film and retains the ominously dark mood of its mother film where we’re struggling to make out what exactly is happening which in turn ratchets up the tension as tentacles slither through water and our heroes negotiate acid alien blood in zero gravity and try to beat a foe that relies on body temperature to find its prey.

There’s a Guy Ritchie feel to the Brit-dominated band joining hero Rain on her mission including a scene-stealing David Jonsson as her android ‘brother’ Andy who goes rogue, Spike Fearn as his irritating nemesis Bjorn and Archie Renaux as Rain’s ex-boyfriend Tyler whose idea the entire caper is.

There are many jump scares in the story and also callbacks to the best bits of the film’s predecessors including evil corporation Weyland-Yutani and the return of a character from the original film that may prove controversial but we thought added to this 7th film in the series’ success.

Alien: Romulus cost a fraction of its 2017 predecessor Alien: Covenant yet reboots the franchise as a ceaseless thrill and adventure ride that never lets up in its 120 minutes and will leave you gasping both for air – and for more.

• Main pictures via Facebook courtesy Disney Tickets
• Have you seen an Alien film before and what did you think of this 1? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
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