Empty ships, a horrifying alien and teeth-grinding dread cemented 1979’s “Alien” and its sequels as a pillar of the horror genre. “Alien: Romulus,” the franchises’ latest entry, follows in the original’s footsteps while staying unique and great in its own right.

The film, which takes place between “Alien” and 1986’s “Aliens,” follows a group of young interstellar colonists who explore an abandoned space station to salvage equipment to get to a better planet. Aboard the station, they encounter a hive of bloodthirsty aliens that hunt them down in brutal fashion. 

By seamlessly combining action sequences with slow, nail-biting horror scenes, the film’s story stays entertaining throughout and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. Although some plot points are reminiscent of “Alien,” the story is still unique and doesn’t rely on callbacks to previous films to captivate the audience. 

The story of “Alien: Romulus” is supported well by its small cast of characters, which have a unique and friendly dynamic between them. The characters in this film differ from the typical scientists or soldiers of the franchise’s past, increasing their relatability to the audience due to their normalcy.

Despite them being normal people, the characters act smarter than most in the franchise, and it’s a welcome surprise to see the entire cast be cautious and solve problems rather than just being easy prey for the aliens. 

 Standout characters are Rain, the protagonist played by Cailee Spaeny, and Andy, a malfunctioning android played by David Josson. The actors’ portrayal of the pair is phenomenal and have great chemistry that matches the characters’ close, sibling-like bond. Their familial relationship is a core part of the film’s story and leads to some great emotional interactions between the characters.

The titular alien is just as good as the characters and it’s a relief to see it again after the prequels tiptoed around showing it. The aliens, the iconic xenomorphs, return to their roots in the film and hunt down the cast with intelligence and brutality. 

The xenomorphs are brought to life mostly through incredible practical effects that feel reminiscent of the older films. A combination of animatronics and puppetry, enhanced with CGI, make the aliens feel more real and adds to their terrifying presence.

The return to the style of “Alien” is courtesy of director Fede Álvarez, who is new to the franchise. Álvarez’s love of the franchise is clear through his grounded and unique directorial style that allows the film to be entertaining, action-packed and terrifying despite its smaller scope. 

While “Alien: Romulus” is largely exceptional, it does contain some flaws, particularly in the first act. The movie spends hardly any time fleshing out the side characters or building up tension before the xenomorphs begin attacking.

Investing time in developing the cast and building tension early on would have allowed the audience to get to know the characters better and made the abrupt jump into the action smoother. The film does find its footing in the second act and the rest of the film is phenomenal due to its pacing, stakes and subversions of the audience’s expectations.

Even with its rocky start, “Alien: Romulus” is a fantastic film that builds upon the films that came before it to create a great entry into the series and the summer’s best horror movie.