Alien Covenant: Review

Alien Covenant is directed by Ridley Scott and stars Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston and Billy Crudup. A sequel to Prometheus but still a distant prequel to 79's Alien, we see the crew of colony ship Covenant detour from their journey to answer a distress call. As things take a gruesome turn, they discover horrors lurking beyond the tranquil lakes and meadows of wild wheat they find on arrival. 
 
Once again Ridley Scott delivers a brilliant, terrifying work of art that props itself nicely between the shoulders of past Alien films. You would think you can only go certain lengths from the ground breaking phycological sic-fi/horror within the depths of space, However Scott's latest work offers distinctive twists with a fresh set of characters, ultimately taking the saga into an excitingly different direction. 

Prometheus created an deep and philosophical look into the origin of the Alien series, even if it didn't supply fans with the desired bloodshed. Through Covenant however, the first film can be viewed in a completely different light, as we receive answers to the many outstanding questions which it posed but left unresolved. The film certainly doesn't hold back on the ghastly guts and gore either - terrifying but exhilarating - Scott introduces a back splitting, birth scene which makes John Hurt's iconic chest busting death look like an angry Colin the Caterpillar. Covenant isn't reliant on human slaughter alone though, as Scott's trademark style allows him to craft a truly chilling cinema experience. 

There is the odd scene that seems as if its ripped straight from the original, but these play more as a gold plated homage than an instant copy or repetition. The underlying story of Covenant allows for some unexpected thought on the subject matter of Creation and Evolution, taking a deeper look into themes Prometheus started to explore. Katherine Waterston fills in the spot of pre Ellen Ripley incredibly well - delivering a very emotional and physical performance. All that being said Fassbender is the glue, the binding that holds every key element of the film perfectly in place. 

With Covenant we are given the best of both worlds; horror and story, and an impressive balance between action and plot. Scott's groundbreaking cinematography makes everything look believable, stunningly beautiful, and delivers absolutely his most impressive visual work since 82's Blade Runner.

In the end Scott creates another chilling, slaughter fest that adds new ideas to the saga. The Crew may be as expendable as the putty men in Power Rangers, but with a constant eerie atmosphere and brutal deaths this is by far the scariest Alien film to date. Let's just say you don't want to be buying popcorn this time around...

I am going to give Alien Covenant:

8.6/10