Decoding The Ending Of The ‘Alien: Romulus’ Movie And How It Impacts The Franchise’s Future

The Alien films have always left fans with some unresolved questions. The seventh entry, the Alien: Romulus movie, continues this trend. Another bunch of disparate characters gets plunged into a desperate battle for survival against the nightmarish Xenomorph aliens, this time on board some derelict space station. At the same time, though, Romulus doesn’t feel like a simple retread of what has come before, directed as it is by horror veteran Fede Alvarez. In contrast, the Alien: Romulus movie adds tonnes of new details to the overall mythology of the franchise.

The Alien franchise, which began with Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979), comprises a series of science fiction horror movies set sometime in the future when space travel has become commonplace and humankind’s reach extends far beyond the Earth.

In contrast to optimists like Elon Musk who believe that space is full of wonders, it is home to unspeakable terrors like Xenomorph. These movies explore the darkest corners of the universe — literally and figuratively — and the most shadowy aspects of human nature.

Let’s unpack the entire movie, particularly that jaw-dropping ending, in detail. Also, we will look at what are that ending’s implications for the future of the entire Alien franchise.

Spoiler alert!

Alien: Romulus movie ending explained: Everything you missed

What is Alien: Romulus movie all about?

Alien: Romulus is nestled snugly between the events of Alien and James Cameron’s Aliens (1986). The cast of the movie includes Cailee Spaeny (who played Erin McMenamin in the HBO series Mare of Easttown, also starring Kate Winslet) as Rain, an orphaned miner and David Jonsson as her adoptive brother Andy, who is in reality a synthetic human or android.

In the story, Rain and Andy team up with Rain’s ex-boyfriend Tyler (played by Archie Renaux) and others, including Tyler’s pregnant sister Kay (played by Isabela Merced), his cousin Bjorn (played by Spike Fearn) and his (played by Bjorn’s) girlfriend Navarro (played by Aileen Wu) to retrieve cryostasis chambers to reach the planet Yvaga and freedom.

The said cryostasis chambers are located in a ramshackle space station called The Renaissance. It is divided into two parts Remus and Romulus, echoing the story of the twin brothers and the founding myth of Rome (the brothers, raised by a she-wolf, later fought with Remus being killed by Romulus). However, they unwittingly revive frozen Xenomorphs. Naturally, chaos and death ensue.

What happens in the Alien: Romulus movie?

The movie begins with a probe of Weyland-Yutani looking into the wreckage of Nostromo, the spacecraft in the original Alien. It comes across a dormant Xenomorph.

As Rain, Andy and others fly a spacecraft called Corbelan to The Renaissance, they discover the two sections: Romulus and Remus. After inadvertently awakening the facehuggers, a lockdown is triggered. In order to override it, Rain plants a chip into Andy from an android Rook that they encounter, which is played by the late Sir Ian Holm (who played Ash) through some CGI sorcery. The chip not only appears to enhance Andy’s capabilities but also makes him loyal to the Weyland-Yutani corporation.

As they are pursued by the Xenomorph aliens during their escape, a facehugger attaches itself to Navarro. When Bjorn tries to flee with her on the Corbelan, a chestbusters emerges from Navarro, ending her life in the most agonising way possible. Bjorn dies soon after when he foolishly tries to confront a Xenomorph one-on-one.

Alien: Romulus‘ ending explained: How the movie introduces a terrifying new creature

We have had Xenomorph-human hybrids before in the Alien franchise. In Alien: Resurrection, a cloned Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) gives birth to a most grotesque creature known as the Newborn. However, the Alien: Romulus movie takes this to a whole other level with the introduction of the Offspring.

Unlike the Newborn, which was a product of forced genetic manipulation, the Offspring is the result of Kay’s (played by Isabela Merced) desperate choice to protect her unborn child by using the “Prometheus fire”, the black gooey substance that we saw in Prometheus (2012). The Prometheus fire is the source of life in the Alien universe.

As she, along with others, is pursued by the Xenomorphs, the pregnant Kay is seriously injured and dragged away by an alien. Although she is presumed dead, she is only wrapped in a cocoon for the time being. When she is rescued, she injects herself with the Prometheus fire. Then, we witness the most terrifying creature in the history of Alien movies.

The substance accelerates her pregnancy and what should have been a human child is revealed to be a hybrid: the Offspring. This creature is a horrifying fusion of both species, possessing the intelligence and physical traits of a human while inheriting the deadly attributes of a Xenomorph. It kills Kay, but the last two survivors, Rain and Andy, manage to kill it.

The implications of the Offspring on the Alien franchise

The Offspring, although dead, has profound implications for the Alien movies’ future. It is a deadly new form of Xenomorph, almost an evolution of the species with enhanced abilities. Its emergence promises even more formidable and unpredictable alien adversaries in future movies. I like how Romulus expands the lore introduced in Prometheus. This movie basically makes the Alien universe much bigger and lush with more possibilities.

Alien: Romulus movie review

The Alien: Romulus movie is quite excellent as a pure horror movie, but not necessarily an Alien movie. Álvarez, who has also directed Evil Dead (2013) and Don’t Breathe (2016), recreates the familiar claustrophobic atmosphere. And once the horror kicks in, it is relentless. It does not push the envelope like Prometheus. However, it delivers a nerve-wracking experience and stays true to the franchise’s roots.

Spaeny is something of a revelation. She anchors the film with a compelling mix of vulnerability and determination. I fervently hope Rain becomes the next Ripley of this franchise, which began a quarter of a century ago with Alien (1979) directed by Ridley Scott.

(Hero and Featured image: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox/ IMDb)

This article first appeared on Lifestyle Asia India