Fede Álvarez’s <em>Alien: Romulus</em> is returning to a seminal point in the Alien timeline – providing numerous fans hope that the series will lastly be revived – but whilst the movie’s wider context is crucial, there are indicators that it will also connect to old franchise tropes in far more subtle strategies. After years in the wilderness, Alien: Romulus is bringing Alien back to its roots. Set in between Alien and Aliens, the film presents a fresh commence following the lukewarm response to Ridley Scott’s prequel films. Yet whilst filmmakers undoubtedly hope Romulus moves the franchise forward, its good results will nonetheless be rooted in its hyperlinks to the previous.

As element of his promotion for the upcoming film, Fede Álvarez has been explicit in acknowledging the influence other Alien films have had on his inventive course of action. As he explained in an interview with THR: “I love all of those movies. I didn’t want to omit or ignore any of them when it comes to connections at a story level, character level, technology level and creature level. There’s always connections from Alien to Alien: Covenant.” This attitude proves that Romulus will be replete with other Alien references and allusions. Judging by the Alien: Romulus trailer, nonetheless, one particular certain returning trend is especially thrilling.

Alien: Romulus Includes Facehuggers Attacking In Water

It’s A Terrifying Scene

Without revealing also significantly in the way of plot, the Alien: Romulus trailer has highlighted some important points of interest ahead of the upcoming sci-fi horror film. Revelations such as the existence of the Romulus lab and the fate of some supporting crew members offer a tantalizing glimpse at what is to come. However, one particular far more subtle moment hints at the extent to which other Alien movies’ DNA runs all through Romulus.

At about one particular minute into the trailer, one particular of Alien: Romulus‘ young cast is observed frantically splashing about in a dingy flooded area. As his compatriot tentatively asks him “what’s happening?” the man responds that “there is something in the water“. As he becomes increasingly agitated, a facehugger abruptly leaps out of the murky depths, attempting to attach itself to his face and impregnate him with a chestburster. This short scene currently suggests Alien: Romulus will be complete of the intense horror that fans count on from an Alien film. However, the presence of an aquatic Alien attack truly hyperlinks Romulus to various earlier franchise installments.

Romulus’ Facehugger Attack Continues A Trend Established In Aliens

Its Water Attack Sequence Was Legendary

While seeing facehuggers launch themselves unseen from underwater is a new innovation for the franchise, it is far from the only time that Alien films have utilised water to heighten the terror. The most popular instance undoubtedly comes from Aliens. As Ripley, Hicks, and Newt are desperately attempting to escape an onrushing xenomorph horde, Newt slips and falls into an underground river. While Ripley and Hicks race to come across her, she creeps via the water, attempting to stay undetected – abruptly realizing that she’s not alone.

Just as Ripley and Hicks are about to rescue her, an alien emerges from the water behind Newt, grabbing her and taking her back to the principal alien hive and the queen. It remains one particular of the scariest scenes in the film, due to the fact the initial jump scare combines completely with the horrific uncertainty of what is occurred to Newt. While the xenomorphs in Aliens are often shown camouflaging themselves amidst their surroundings, the water attack is the initial time they are observed working with water to ambush their prey so explicitly.

Although Aliens was the initial film to include things like a surprise water attack, it undoubtedly wasn’t the final. While Alien Resurrection received middling testimonials from fans and critics, one particular of the movie’s most successful moments was an additional underwater scene. Here, alien aggressors are observed hunting the crew of the Betty, swimming right after them as they desperately attempt to swim to security. The truth that Alien: Romulus is bringing back this system of attack not only shows a willingness to be inventive when it comes to scaring the audience, but also an awareness of what is come prior to in the franchise.

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Every Alien Movie Features Water To Some Extent

It’s A Key Symbol Throughout The Franchise

It appears like Alien: Romulus will join Aliens and Alien: Resurrection as the only Alien films to function a direct xenomorph attack from water. However, whilst this detail marks these installments out, it is crucial to acknowledge that water has truly played a crucial symbolic part all through the franchise. In truth, each Alien film, to a higher or lesser extent, has featured water to some degree, highlighting its significance as a recurring motif.

In Ridley Scott’s original Alien, for instance, the initial completely-grown xenomorph attack on Brett requires spot in a chain-filled area exactly where water droplets fall from the ceiling. In Alien 3, a important element of the prisoners’ strategy to fight the xenomorph threat requires working with a mixture of fire and the sprinkler technique. Prometheus‘ deadly hammerpede emerges from a mysterious black stream, whilst Covenant has a memorably gruesome kill in the shower. While not as clearly water-primarily based as Aliens, Resurrection, and Romulus, these moments highlight how water flows all through the franchise.

Why The Alien Movies Are So Obsessed With Water

It Serves Multiple Functions In The Series

There are various causes why water seems in each Alien film. On a superficial level, it is an simple way to build an eerie and unsettling atmosphere. Water in space automatically feels unnatural, subconsciously generating any viewer uneasy. There’s also anything sinister about its impenetrability, with the worry of anything monstrous attacking out of the depths triggering a primal response in each characters and audience members.

Beyond this, nonetheless, water acts as a potent symbol of the Alien movie’s exploration of the dark heart of nature. Its presence indicates a return to the all-natural order, exactly where human technological prowess matters tiny. The alien itself is the embodiment of this theme: a savagely attractive killing machine that Ash memorably describes as “the perfect organism“. The recurring use of water is a way to hyperlink human characters to their evolutionary previous exactly where they had been just an additional hyperlink in the meals chain. Its reappearance in Alien: Romulus indicates that Álvarez’s film will continue to discover this existential theme.

Source: THR

Alien: Romulus

Director

Fede Alvarez

Release Date

August 16, 2024

Cast

Cailee Spaeny , David Jonsson , Archie Renaux , Isabela Merced , Aileen Wu , Spike Fearn