Alien: Romulus

I think Alien is one of the best science-fiction movies ever made so, even though I like some of the many sequels and prequels more than others, I have been beyond excited to see Alien: Romulus.  I had the chance last night at a Thursday preview and I loved it.  Rain (Cailee Spaeny) is an orphaned indentured laborer on a desolate mining colony eager to escape from Weyland-Yutani Corp.  She and Andy (David Jonsson), an android reprogrammed by her father to take care of her, are invited to join a group, consisting of Tyler (Archie Renoux), Kay (Isabela Merced), Bjorn (Spike Fearn), and Navarro (Aileen Wu), traveling to a decommissioned spaceship floating near the colony in order to access the cryogenic chambers required to leave because they need Andy to communicate with the computer on board.  When they arrive, they discover that the ship is really a space station and that it wasn't decommissioned but destroyed.  They also discover a damaged android who reveals that a xenomorph recovered from the wreckage of the Nostromo is on board and that they have inadvertently provoked an attack by multiple facehuggers.  They attempt to escape by implanting the android's chip into Andy so he can access the space station's controls but this changes his directive with terrifying results.  I was impressed by the story because it is definitely an homage to the movies that have come before (one specific callback had my audience cheering) while still bringing a unique vision to the franchise.  The practical sets, featuring damaged labs, airlocks, corridors, and elevator shafts, brilliantly emphasize the claustrophobia and the use of atmospheric lighting and unsettling sound design add to the almost unbearable tension.  There are some incredible action sequences, especially in the absolutely wild third act (which had me on the edge of my seat and holding my breath), and I was particularly blown away by one involving gravity.  I loved the relationship between Rain and Andy because it provides some emotional depth that I wasn't expecting and both Spaeny and Jonsson give outstanding performances (I was quite impressed with Jonsson because he effectively shifts between two different personalities).  My only complaint is that I sometimes had a hard time with the geography because I couldn't figure out where everyone was in relation to various locations and to each other.  Ultimately, I think this is the best entry in the franchise since Aliens and I highly recommend it.