Ridley’s epic deep-space horror
It’s difficult to reinvent the wheel in a franchise that has spawned more than half a dozen films. Ask the makers of Fast 8. In Alien: Covenant, the sixth film from the beloved space horror franchise, Ridley Scott not so much reinvents the wheel as much as he realigns it.
Taking place 10 years after the events of the polarising prequel, Prometheus, the film mostly takes place in Covenant, the mother ship. As it moves briskly along on a seven-year mission to a new planet, and its inhabitants are asleep, something terrible happens. Something terrible always happens here. The inhabitants are woken up. Yes, this sounds vaguely familiar if you have watched Passengers.
As the captain of the ship (cameo by James Franco) dies, the crew are left to decide for themselves what to do next.
It is here that the film kicks into a different gear and is able to return to its roots of balancing an emotionally rich story with delightfully scary and thrilling moments.
Scott has made us care about the characters in this series again.
Not least of them is the captain’s widow, Daniels (played by Katherine Waterston), who, as she floats away in space after the death of her husband, begins to question the meaning of existence and God in the universe.
An existential crisis set in space is one of the threads that weaves through this film and holds it together.
The team decides to land on a planet they hope will help make this mission go quicker. Here the cinematography of Dariusz Wolski enters a class of it’s own.
The lush hues of blue, grey and black create an eerie cold environment that is full of intrigue. But there is something unsettling about this unspoiled beauty. It is too quiet.
While on the planet, they find David, the last survivor from Prometheus, and he meets Walter. An upgraded version of himself.
Fassbender’s performance as the two androids is enchanting and layered. He is able to embody the similarities between the two machines while emphasising some aspects of Walter’s emotional intelligence that are absent in David.
It is kinetic performance that showcases why Fassbender is one of the most cerebral actors of his generation.
It is amazing that Scott, who is now pushing 80, is able to make a film of such beguiling intelligence. Alien: Covenant terrifies and teases with masterful ease. It easily comes in as the third best film in the six-film franchise. A huge compliment, when you consider the spectacle that was the first two films.
You are also left feeling slightly jilted by the fact that he seeded the franchise to other auteurs like James Cameron and David Fincher. Covenant offers a glimpse into what would have been possible if Scott had made all the films. A rich piece of entertainment built on a strong emotional foundation.
It’s no spoiler to say that the aliens start crawling out of the woodwork, literally, in this film. It is a terrifying spectacle that will leave you squirming in your seat, but glued to the screen.