Alien Romulus (4½ Stars)

This is a film I almost didn't go to see. I had my doubts about its quality, especially after hearing that it was originally planned to be released direct-to-streaming. That's never a good sign for a film in a major franchise.

Fortunately, the film has been released in cinemas. I was enthralled from the first few minutes. The atmosphere was overpowering. The scenery on the mining planet Jackson's Star is futuristic but primitive at the same time. The colonists are living in dirty conditions without any hope of being able to leave. The main characters are a group of young people who take things into their own hands. They steal a shuttle craft to fly to an abandoned space station, hoping that it will be a first step in their escape to a new planet. They don't know that dangers are waiting for them on the space station.

My only criticism of the film is that there's hardly any character development for the young people. We see them and hear them talking, but we don't get a feeling for them.

I shan't write any more. No spoilers! I just recommend that my readers go to see the film for themselves.