Alien Romulus: A return to form

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Over 40 years since H.R. Giger's iconic design for the Xenomorph was brought to the big screen in 1979's Alien. Romulus honours the original, taking us back to its sci-fi horror roots. The atmosphere created is brilliant, slowly building tension before unleashing a swarm of face-hugging parasites on our unsuspecting cast. It only gets more intense from there as the Xenomorph literally bursts onto our screens to terrorise them further. Building to a grotesquely absurd final act that I won't be spoiling. It's been well-established that in space no one can hear you scream, yet it seems to happen an awful lot.

The countless references to the original can be a little on the nose. But it's clear Fede Álvarez (the director) has huge respect for Ridley Scott's work. Romulus pays tribute to its past while updating it for audiences in new and interesting ways.