‘Alien: Romulus’ 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review – A Back-To-Basics Outing For The Iconic Horror Franchise

This truly terrifying sci-fi horror-thriller takes the phenomenally successful Alien franchise back to its iconic roots. While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young colonizers come face-to-face with the most relentless and deadly life form in the universe. Starring Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu, Alien: Romulus is directed by horror master Fede Alvarez from a screenplay by Alvarez and frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett. Ridley Scott — who directed the original Alien and the series entries Prometheus and Alien: Covenant — produces with Michael Pruss and Walter Hill.

For in-depth thoughts on Alien: Romulus, please see my colleague Cameron Ritter’s review from its original theatrical release here. 

Video Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Alien: Romulus offers a welcome uptick in quality over the already terrific accompanying Blu-Ray. This outing brings things back to basics as nearly all of the action takes place within the confines of the ship, so this is not the most traditionally colorful feature. That being said, we are grateful to have Dolby Vision to find the nuances within the shadows and any bold use of lighting. The HDR finds the nuances in every hue in a way that a lesser format cannot replicate. Skin tones appear more natural with crisp detail apparent on faces, including a collection of scrapes that grows throughout, and gory makeup presenting with clarity. 

With this increased resolution, fine detail in the costumes and production design is more apparent than ever. The elements in the film taking place in darkness are more distinct and finely delineated thanks to impeccable black levels. There are so many edges that could succumb to the darkness, but everything stands out rather than being swallowed up. The highlights in the film are also more crisply defined with white levels pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. This 4K UHD presentation is a major winner with gains in every category. The Blu-Ray is first-rate, but Disney and 20th Century Studios have delivered a knockout with the 4K UHD Blu-Ray release.  

Audio Quality

This disc comes equipped with a Dolby Atmos presentation that proves its worth from the opening moments until the very end. The dialogue is presented perfectly clearly without ever being drowned out by any of the competing sonic elements. Environmental details are purposefully dispersed in the rear and overhead channels to capture each new thrill. The overhead channels take on a significant amount of information which adds a distinct sense of space to this horrifying tale. Sounds are deftly rendered with precise directionality no matter the occasion. The low response digs deep and brings texture to the forefront. The score is a very important part of the film’s atmosphere, and it permeates the room with a vengeance. This track is sure to please fans. Optional English SDH, French, Spanish, and Japanese subtitles are provided. 

Special Features

• Alternate/Extended Scenes: Four unused scenes totaling nearly 12 minutes are provided. 
• Return To Horror – Crafting Alien: Romulus: A nearly 26-minute making-of documentary that explores the process of bringing this film to the screen. 
  • The Director’s Vision (3:28)
  • Creating The Story (2:20)
  • Casting The Faces (6:29)
  • Constructing The World (13:15)

• Inside The Xenomorph Showdown: An 11-minute look at the creation of the finale from every angle including a mixture of practical and digital effects. 
• Alien – A Conversation: A nearly ten-minute conversation between Ridley Scott and Fede Alvarez in which they discuss the landmark original film. 

Final Thoughts

Alien: Romulus is a pretty solidly entertaining back-to-basics approach for the franchise that plays it safe narratively yet largely delivers what fans want. The most significant and surprising disappointment is that the film does not push more intensely into extreme gross-out moments and gore considering this is directed by Fede Alvarez. Yes, there are plenty of nasty moments, but nothing monumentally beyond what we saw 45 years ago in Alien. The film also has too many links back to the original films which feels clunky at best and ghoulish at worst. Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson are particularly great at anchoring the chaos and giving you character to care about. It is not reinventing the wheel, but this is a fun outing. 20th Century Studios and Disney Home Entertainment have released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a fantastic A/V presentation and a nice assortment of special features. If you love the franchise, this is worth a place in your collection. Recommended 

Alien: Romulus will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray and DVD on December 3, 2024.  

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: 20th Century Studios and Disney Home Entertainment have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.