Life, Aliens, and Abominations

Alien: Romulus [2024]

Film

Fede Alvarez's Alien: Romulus is a wild thrill ride. Drawing similarities to his 2013 remake of Evil Dead, this reconstruction of Ridley Scott's Alien films is dripping with Alvarez's knack for horror. Slowly metamorphosing across an anxiety-laden near two-hour runtime, Alien: Romulus revisits the claustrophobic, grimy horror of Scott's original Alien, and James Cameron's Aliens, two of the most prolific sci-fi films of all time. But the feeling of familiarity in Alvarez's new adventure, yes, at times feels like an appropriate homage to the Alien stories to have come before. Otherwise, it serves to undermine the thrilling new addition.

Opening up the film is a brief sequence where a Weyland-Yutani probe in the far reaches of outer space is investigating the wreckage of a ship. That ship is none other than the Nostromo from the original Alien. The probe pulls in a piece of debris that happens to be what remains of the xenomorph Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) shot out of the airlock. Moments like these are, on one hand, fun nods to the origins of the Alien series, but you can't help but roll your eyes at the start of a new exciting Alien story beginning with "somehow the xenomorph has returned."

There are plenty of the original Alien themes in Alien: Romulus as well, which is one of the film's strengths. Focusing on a group of young adults, led by a superb Cailee Spaeny as Rain Carradine and David Jonsson as her adopted brother Andy (he's an android), Romulus highlights the corporate greed and malfeasance through younger eyes. This rag-tag group of kids was born on a mining planet, where the Weyland-Yutani company sends miners into the depths of the planet to contract lung disease and die before their ludicrous mandatory contracts can ever be finished. Their hopes of flying up to the Romulus space station, an abandoned vessel sitting above the planet, to take its cryo-chambers, enabling them to fly to the far reaches of space for a better life, are over before they even begin. These aren't disgruntled workers with decades of wear and tear at the behest of a dystopic corporation, or space marines sent on a suicide mission to make a quick buck. These are kids who never had a chance to begin with, born on a planet where you can't see the sun. There is no bright side to look on for these people.

Even as they try to carry out their heist as it may seem, it turns out the Romulus space station is harboring the probe from the beginning of the film and thus, the xenomorph(s) and facehuggers. Classic Alien fans and newcomers alike will be satiated with Alvarez's terrific direction on the Romulus station. The usage of practical effects including animatronic/puppet-like facehuggers transforms simple chase sequences in narrow hallways into gut-wrenching, anxiety-inducing thrill rides. Watching Rain, Andy and Co. navigate the Romulus is gripping, and is nothing short of a visual feast. Galo Olivares' cinematography is a sight to behold. From lighting to color grading, and everything in between, Alien: Romulus is simply gorgeous, in a harrowing or impending death kind of way. Allowing its surface-level appeal to aid in not only the continued world-building but also Alvarez's ability to insert elements of classic slasher horror films into the grimy, bloody abyss of space.

Alien: Romulus [2024]

While watching the protagonists of Alien: Romulus fight off their alien counterparts is fun, especially for classic fans, the lack of originality hampers the overall product. Where Ridley Scott's unfinished David Trilogy (Prometheus, Alien: Covenant) pushed the boundaries of what an Alien movie could be, and what it could be about, Alien: Romulus slips back into the trenches of "been there, done that." The all too familiar android mission over man conundrum of the original films reappears, along with a terribly CGI'd version of the late great Ian Holm--for no real reason other than a shoehorned callback to his character Ash from the 1979 Alien. There's even a "get away from her, you bitch" thrown in for effect. The effect is something in between an exasperated wheeze and an uncomfortable laugh. As a huge fan of the previous films, I can't say I wholly disliked all of the rehashed ideas, but the absence of original ideas is a little souring.

Luckily, Alvarez can fit in some new ideas in the film's break-neck pace finale. Equal parts terrifying and exciting, Alien: Romulus slightly builds on the ideas of the David Trilogy without reaching beyond the bounds of the path laid out throughout the film. It feels much closer to Don't Breathe Alvarez, where his story originality shines, but also his sick and twisted mind. And I mean that with utmost respect because I loved Don't Breathe and the final twenty minutes of Romulus.

Sure, I could've used more of the existential quandaries from the David Trilogy as the premise for Romulus. Prometheus and Alien: Covenant questioned our place in the universe, the existence of a god, and the little itty bitty question of whether or not god hates humans. Time will look favorably upon Scott's challenging post-Alien films, as more ambitious sci-fi swings, but the reality of the fact is that I still enjoyed Romulus. Its lack of ambition is a bit of a downer, but as a fan of the classics, and a sucker for the dirty, dystopian world of the Alien films I couldn't help but be excited to watch Alvarez give it a whirl.

Froth

Alien movies don't come around very often. Lord knows Ridley Scott might be too busy cranking out whatever movie to ever revisit the world run by the Weyland-Yutani company--shout out to Gladiator 2, the sequel we never knew we needed or wanted. Not to mention, with Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox it wasn't outlandish to think we'd never see the xenomorph ever again. Luckily, we've faired ok under our Disney overlords with their revival of the Predator franchise, with the terrific Prey, and now (albeit with some downsides) the box office success, Alien: Romulus. With films that don't come that often, I think it's prudent to find a beer that follows suit. A special occasion calls for a special beer, no?

This led me to a small brewery I heard about through a stranger on the internet. Funny how things work these days am I right? Floodland Brewing, located in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood is not only a unique brewery, but boasts some incredible brews. I'm just assuming all of their brews are incredible since I've only had one, but it was tremendous. The Roseate Blend 6 is a funky, and fruity bottle conditioned saison whose bright semi-translucent red/pink appearance just screams freshness. I can't possibly do any justice on the construction of this blend of Roseate, you'd be better off checking the notes on Floodland's Bottle Log, because it's the product of masterful tinkering. It contains some 15 fruit varieties, but the sweet flavors of cherries and plums rise to the surface along with a twist of rhubarb tartness. Toss in some oaky characteristics and the Roseate Blend 6 is not just a beer, but a full blown experience. Equally refreshing, with effervescence amplifying taste and aroma, and delicious it is one of the most well-rounded saisons I've ever had.

What makes Floodland so unique as a brewery is these beers are only available by public sale every other month. This allows the utmost time and care to be put into every batch and even reminds me of the careful artistry by the lambic brewers seen in Bottle Conditioned. But it also turns these beers into something more than just a beer. As I mentioned, it's a full blown experience, but that's referring to one's own tasting. Floodland's elegant exclusivity transforms the act of opening a bottle into an event, a communal celebration where you're drawn to bringing others along for the ride. When are you ever going to get to try the Roseate Blend 6 ever again? Probably never! So you may as well bring some friends or family to the party, pop a bottle, and dive head first into the fantastic world of Floodland's offerings.

That being said I did drink this alone. I am nothing, if not honest. But don't worry, I have two other bottles from the July sale to actually share with people!