The greatest irony of Prometheus, 2015’s heady Alien prequel, is that its most terrifying aspect, especially to most die-hard fans of the iconic series, is that it seemed to signal a far less horror-driven, more philosophically focused direction for the franchise. Devotees who were quick to decry that the film was a veritable “game over” for the series will be delighted to find that Alien: Covenant, the Ridley Scott-helmed follow-up to Prometheus, returns to the claustrophobic terror of the original films, with hapless humans limping down dark corridors, scrambling to flee from their inky, sinewy, ravenous pursuers in a wide-eyed, sweaty-palmed panic.
For most of its runtime, the prequel-sequel is a maelstrom of gunfire, close calls, bloody sneak attacks, and the signature atmospheric dread the series is lauded for. In this respect, the film feels like a return to bloody glory.
What’s perhaps most fascinating about Covenant, however, is that, as gruesome and suspenseful as its horror elements are, some of the film’s best parts can be traced directly to its divisive predecessor. Michael Fassbender reprises his role as British android David, who has established an isolated, Yoda-like existence (tunic and all) on a lonely, rainy planet.
Ten years after the events of the first movie, his solitude is shaken with the landing of a colony ship called Covenant, whose designated artificial crewmate happens to be a more advanced android model, Walter, who was made in David’s exact image but has been stripped of any transgressive tendencies by his creator (an uncredited Guy Pearce) and, conveniently for us, has a distinctly American accent. Screenwriters John Logan and Dante Harper, along with the incomparable Fassbender, elegantly weave the existential quandaries that arise from the android “brothers’” interactions, and Fassbender sells the doppelganger illusion even more than the visual effects, which are so spectacular they’ll give you chills.
These moments of interstellar navel-gazing between Fassbender and… Fassbender… are ethereal, surprising, and beautifully acted, but the reality is, philosophical pondering won’t put butts in seats come the film’s release. David and Walter are just shy of immortal, so they have little to fear; the real terror comes from the frail human crewmembers aboard the Covenant and the 2,000 hyper-sleeping colonists they’re harboring.
When a solar flare disrupts the ship’s trajectory, Walter pulls the main crew out of their deep slumber to address the issue. Tragically, the ship’s captain (played by James Franco in a quick cameo, oddly) doesn’t survive the accident, leaving his wife, terraforming expert Daniels (Katherine Waterston), as second-in-command to new captain Oram (Billy Crudup, terrific), a high-strung, fidgety outsider who fumbles nearly every interaction and winds up insulting almost everyone, somehow.
Oram’s leadership skills are tested when the crew receives a stray signal from a nearby planet, seemingly of human origin, that leads them to the drenched, monster-infested planet David calls home. He shelters the crew in the massive ruins of an ancient civilization, a creepy, blackened graveyard he calls home. Inevitably, everything is not as it seems and, with some clever plot maneuvering, we’re ushered through some super well-done slasher-movie scares and heaping helpings of fast, hard-hitting blockbuster action.
The action and scares, the meat and potatoes of the series, are handled well for the most part, though the tone and cinematic sensibilities behind the different set pieces are inconsistent throughout. At the outset, the action sequences are driven by suspense, hysteria, and body horror that, while not as unforgettably grotesque as the original two films’ classic gross-out moments, still elicit the same stomach-turning reaction in the moment. An early scene finds two crewmates, played by Amy Seimetz and Carmen Ejogo, trapped in a small recon ship with an unwelcome, razor-toothed visitor. One is locked in a room with the damn thing, while the other frantically sprints up and down the ship’s tight corridors, searching for a way to blow the little bugger to bits. Paranoia and panic are overwhelming, the editing keeps you off-balance in the best way, and the situation descends into madness in the most beautiful, finessed way.
The action later in the film, by contrast, feels more in tune with Disney/Marvel action-adventure spectacle than with the moodiness and intimacy of the original movies. It’s strange: the high-flying, epic, elaborate set pieces of the third act are gripping on their own, but they come close to dismantling the rarefied, almost ghostly atmosphere the movie worked so hard to build in the first two acts.
This is a minor issue in the context of the Alien: Covenant experience, which is largely excellent. The cinematography, as in Prometheus, is evocative, appropriately otherworldly, and will take your breath away more often than not (the cool, celestial lighting is particularly transportive). The actors do a fine job of coming across as real people in a short time, which pays dividends when they meet their ultimate fate. Surprise standout Danny McBride excels here, and the nuance of Crudup’s performance is invaluable to the story.
Prometheus fans and detractors alike will find plenty to admire and geek out over in this successful entry in the Alien legacy, including the long-requested homecoming of the almighty Xenomorph, teased in Prometheus but making a big impact here. The creature’s return is triumphant, as is Scott’s return to the roots of his beloved sci-fi franchise.