FINALLY got to see ALIEN: ROMULUS.
The ALIEN franchise is one of my all-time favorites. I even enjoy the ugly stepchildren that are ALIEN 3 & 4 and the ambitious but imperfect PROMETHEUS & COVENANT. This was my most anticipated film of the year. It only slightly disappointed me.
I see why some have criticized ROMULUS for being a soft remake a la STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS and other recent films that have followed this trend. I didn’t mind that here,…
I think my final verdict is still out on this one, so I’ll reserve the rating for another time.
First of all, I get that narratively it makes sense to use gen AI and indeed if it’s not actual gen AI it fooled me and the creators should be commended because the AI sequences look exactly as you’d expect them too. It makes for effective unease to be fair, regardless of genesis.
I am a fan of both John Cho…
I think I liked this but maybe not in the way Night intended me to. Great seeing Josh Hartnett ham it up. I thoroughly enjoyed his performance in this movie, cringing a bit at his Dad jokes, laughing along with his corny dialogue, but I could see his study of psychopaths paying off. Very midrange Shyamalan here which isn’t too bad considering some of his other titles and the fact that this was seemingly designed as a showcase for his daughter Saleka’s musical prowess, which was a surprise highlight.
Kiyoshi Kurosawa delivers again in this spine-tingling psychological slow-burn. Is it as hypnotic as CURE or as haunting as PULSE? No, but it doesn’t need to be either. This is a film that you fully invest in the journey of it, and even if you do think you know where it’s going you won’t be able to take your eyes off of it.
A stunning work from one of the great masters of cinema. I will absolutely be watching this again. This is why we get region-free blu-ray players, folks.
