'Alien: Romulus’ Biggest Addition to the Xenomorph Is a Perfect Homage to H.R. Giger (2024)

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Alien: Romulus.

Alien: Romulus marks a return to one of horror’s most sacred franchises, with Ridley Scott leaving the director’s chair after his two prequels, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. Luckily, the job was given to Fede Álvarez, whose genre expertise proved to be a win for the Alien universe. Coming off the tail of Scott’s prequels, Alien: Romulus brings the franchise back to its horror roots, along with its beloved iconography. This is most obvious in the return of the original xenomorph and its classic three-stage life cycle — but that's not all. Ridley Scott's prequels focused on universe-building, but in doing so, also took a controversial departure from the traditional xenomorph designs. Alien: Romulus, however, is an exciting return to form, reintroducing the likes of facehuggers and chestbursters in some terrifying updates. Alongside faithful depictions, Álvarez also offers new visions of terror — most notably the grotesque, acid-sputtering wall cocoon, a never-before-seen part of xeno-morphology. Coined “The Chrysalis” (the sequence's soundtrack title), the cocoon is a major development in franchise lore, and might be Álvarez’s most successful risk in Alien: Romulus.

The Xenomorph Cocoon In 'Alien: Romulus' Is Both Terrifying and Logical

The oozing metamorphic sack arrives shortly after Aileen Wu’s Navarro falls victim to a classic facehugger/chestburster combo. As in past movies, the creature escapes into the darkness of a corridor, setting up the expectation of its next fully-grown appearance. But Alien: Romulus has some new developments. Soon after, Bjorn (Spike Fearn) spots a dripping mass nestled in a corner, and it appears something is gestating inside. This is revealed to be a growing xenomorph, confirming the cocoon as a new phase of the alien's life cycle.

With six other movies following the original Alien (1979), there have been countless changes made to xenomorph lore. It’s simply in the nature of the Alien universe; its immersive elements beckon filmmakers to experiment and find new ways to expand. In Aliens,James Cameron invigorated fans with the introduction of a hive and an alien queen. On the other hand, Alien: Resurrection brought the alien-human hybrid, which was met with a little less enthusiasm. Across all the interpretations, the ones that succeed share an ability to innovate while staying grounded in the iconography. This is exactly what the chrysalis from Alien: Romulus manages to do so well.

Beyond making for an inventive concept, the cocoon also offers logic to justify a late-in-the-series appearance. In terms of the xenomorph life cycle, the time between chestburster and a fully-grown adult was largely unknown prior to Alien: Romulus. Past contributions have stuck to the skin-shedding process; a minimalistic way to hint towards a rapidly growing organism. Yet, there still remains a gap in the timeline and logic here, which Álvarez brilliantly seizes for his own. As a result, the chrysalis not only feels plausible but actually provides more context for the xenomorph’s speedy evolution.

The Cocoon In Alien: Romulus’ Fits Right In With The Alien Universe

While this might be the first appearance of a xenomorph chrysalis, there is no doubt it feels right at home in Ridley Scott’s universe. Everything about the chrysalis — from its spontaneous reveal to its grotesque, sexual appearance — echoes the best tricks of the Alien franchise. The practical design is a success on its own, taking heavy inspiration from the original movie's artist and visionary, H.R. Giger. Responsible for spearheading the creature design for the original film, Giger's unique style is what came to define the imagery of the Alien universe. This is why the chrysalis in Romulus manages to fit in while being something entirely new. When the cocoon shows up on screen, it is a moment of confusion and terror. Yet, as one character gets a little too close, Álvarez's direction begins to transmit a sense of familiarity — one that echoes Kane’s discovery of the eggs back in 1979. Similarly, an unlucky character discovers a “thing,” as does the audience in real-time, bringing all the anxiety-ridden vulnerability that an Alien movie should have. It’s also quite obvious what exactly the chrysalis invokes (spoiler: it’s sexual), cementing it as a perfect homage to H.R. Giger's classic designs.

Alien: Romulus’ introduction of the xenomorph cocoon is a perfect example of lore expansion that also feels justified. The moment is representative of how director Fede Alvarez' manages to stay grounded in the Alien universe while offering his own flavor of world-building. As a result, the new scares in Alien: Romulus are surprising, yet effective, remaining faithful to the concepts of the original film. While the storytelling of Prometheus and Alien: Covenant helped expand the universe, they also left a lot to be desired from the franchise. Alien: Romulus, on the other hand, reintegrates the iconography that has always worked, while taking risks that immortalize its legitimacy in the franchise.

Alien: Romulus

710

R

Sci-Fi

Horror

In Alien: Romulus, a crew of space explorers lands on a distant, uncharted planet, only to uncover a horrifying secret lurking beneath the surface. As they delve deeper into the alien environment, they encounter deadly creatures and ancient ruins that hint at a terrifying history. The team's survival becomes a desperate battle against the relentless xenomorphs, forcing them to rely on their wits and technology to escape the nightmarish world.

Release Date

August 16, 2024

Director

Fede Alvarez

Cast

Cailee Spaeny , David Jonsson , Archie Renaux , Isabela Merced , Spike Fearn , Aileen Wu , Rosie Ede , Soma Simon , Bence Okeke , Viktor Orizu , Robert Bobroczkyi , Trevor Newlin , Annemarie Griggs , Daniel Betts

Runtime

119 Minutes

Writers

Fede Alvarez , Rodo Sayagues , Dan O'Bannon , Ronald Shusett

Alien: Romulus is in theaters now. Click below for showtimes.

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