Alien Romulus: run time, age rating, plot and is it worth going to see at the cinema this weekend?

• The seventh film in the “Alien” franchise is out in cinemas today - “Alien: Romulus.”
• The film, directed by Fede Alvarez, stars Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson and takes place between “Alien” and “Aliens.”
• But having had its UK premiere overnight at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, is it worth giving up some time over your weekend to see?

The “Alien” saga continues with the theatrical release of “Alien: Romulus” today (August 16 2024), after its UK premiere taking place at the Edinburgh International Film Festival overnight.

The seventh entry into the long running “Alien” franchise is directed by Fede Alvarez, who longtime horror fans will recall worked on the “Evil Dead” remake in 2013, before working alongside that time’s “scream queen” Jane Levy once again in the 2016 film “Don’t Breathe.”

On this occasion though, it’s Cailee Spaney who is assuming the heroine role of the feature, which is set between Ridley Scott’s iconic first film and James Cameron’s incredibly action-packed second film. But is the mythology in safe hands once again?

Cailee Spaeny stars in the seventh installment in the long running "Alien" franchise - "Alien: Romulus," which is released in UK cinemas from today (August 16 2024.) | Disney

The franchise has had a few stutters up to this point in time; while Ridley Scott’s prequel “Prometheus” earned strong reviews, there are long-time fans who felt the film did not match up to his original, ground-breaking film starring Sigourney Weaver.

There were then attempts with the mythology being continued with “Alien: Covenant” in 2017, but that failed to grab the attention of critics, with the film still sitting on a 65% “Fresh” rating - not quite the heights of its predecessors, but certainly not in the category of the “Alien vs. Predator” film series.

So what is “Alien: Romulus” about, how many hours of your weekend could it take up and perhaps more importantly - is it worth heading to the cinema to check out this weekend? 

What is “Alien: Romulus” about?

“Rain Carradine, a young woman working on a mining colony, faces an uncertain future when her work contract is extended without her consent. Desperate for escape, Rain and a group of friends, including her malfunctioning android brother Andy, embark on a perilous mission to salvage cryogenic stasis chambers from a derelict space station.” 

“However, they unknowingly awaken dangerous alien creatures, setting off a deadly chain of events. As they fight for survival, Rain and her companions must confront the station's hidden horrors, the android's shifting loyalties, and the consequences of their desperate choices.”

Who stars in “Alien: Romulus?”

IMDB has listed the main cast members of “Alien: Romulus,” who perform alongside the lead actress of the film, Cailee Spaeny. 

• Cailee Spaeny as Rain
• David Jonsson as Andy
• Archie Renaux as Tyler
• Isabela Merced as Kay
• Spike Fearn as Bjorn
• Aileen Wu as Navarro

How long is “Alien: Romulus?”

“Alien: Romulus” has a run time of 119 minutes, or in other words a near two-hour run time - so nothing as long as “Oppenheimer” or “The Irishman” on this occasion. For those trivia buffs, it runs 18 minutes shorter than the director’s cut of James Cameron’s “Aliens” - for your pub quiz knowledge.  

What is the age rating for “Alien: Romulus?”

“Alien: Romulus” has been rated at 15 by the British Board of Film Classification for “strong horror, gore (and) language.” In their summary for the classification, they wrote “ Fans of the franchise will be familiar with the jump scares and prolonged scenes of gory sci-fi horror.”

What have reviews been so far for “Alien: Romulus?”

So far, Fede Alvarez’s film has elicited some strong critical praise already; Rotten Tomatoes has the film sitting on an 82% “Fresh” rating from 176 reviews, with the critical consensus stating “Honouring its nightmarish predecessors while chest bursting at the seams with new frights of its own, Romulus injects some fresh acid blood into one of cinema's great horror franchises.”

In their review for the LA Weekly, Erin Maxwell called the film “a heart-pulsating showpiece that both reinvigorates the franchise by injecting it with what it has sorely been lacking recently: fear.” Which fans seem to agree with, as the Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes is also very strong - sitting at 89% and counting. 

“Alien: Romulus” is released in theatres from today (August 16 2024), including Odeon cinemas - who offer their myLIMITLESS membership allowing theatregoers unlimited access to see movies of their choosing for a monthly fee. Check out more details of Odeon’s myLIMITLESS membership over on their website.