“Alien: Covenant” Returns to the Horror Roots

Many people were completely disappointed when “Prometheus” came out in 2012. It did not answer any question we had about the origins of it all. Moreover, people left the theaters more confused than ever. Director Ridley Scott saw that and he decided to helm a new installment of the franchise called “Alien: Covenant”. This time, he answers some very important questions while also managing to go back to the roots of the series. “Covenant” also raises new questions, but it does not fail to answer them. People will not leave the theater with the same bitter taste as they had after they saw “Prometheus”.

Back to the roots

Stylistically and thematically, the movie stand somewhere between the previous movie and the 1970 horror original. It is amazing for a director to succeed something like that nowadays. The new movie it is surely not as good or as creepy as the original, but Ridley Scott manages to take the franchise from the bottom of a pit and make it relevant again. He uses familiar motives but alters them with his own perspective and directorial touch. Also, he provides the answers we needed to get during “Prometheus”, not a few years after, in another movie.

It all begins when a group of pioneers (scientists, engineers, pilots) wake up from hyper-sleep. They have the mission to transport colonists to a new planet which will become their new home. However, during the journey, they are attracted towards something that seems like an even better home. From this point, the movie keeps the fans on the edge of their seat. Ridley Scott handles mystery and suspense like no other, and this helps the movie greatly. He even manages to replicate the chest burster sequence from the classic movie.

New and classic at the same time

The director keeps himself from using the original alien, the “xenomorph”, too much. The creature is teased in the trailers, and it also appears in the movie but at the right time. Until then, the crew has to fight another new creature, a pale monster dubbed the “neomorph”. Apart from this, the movie’s action sequences are nothing new but the director makes them feel fresh. The cast is also very strong and there are no weak links among them. Overall, “Alien: Covenant” is a good movie which goes back to the roots, unlike the disappointment that was “Prometheus”.

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