Alien: Covenant (2017)
Synopsis
Our Alien Covenant review revisits the film’s place within the Alien franchise, with William’s perspective drawn from the franchise retrospective featuring guest John.
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William's Alien: Covenant Review
Alien: Covenant is an interesting bridge between the more philosophical questions of Prometheus and the straightforward survival horror of the original Alien. I liked that it brings the xenomorphs and their terrifying life cycle back into focus without completely abandoning the mythology introduced in the previous film. There are some genuinely disturbing sequences, even when the larger story feels pulled in different directions.
The colony ship provides a useful starting point. These are people traveling with the expectation of building a life somewhere new, which makes the discovery of a threatening world especially effective. Once the crew leaves the safety of the ship, the film has plenty of opportunities to create dread from the environment and the uncertainty surrounding it.
The body horror is a major strength. The film delivers some gruesome transformations and creature moments that remind me why this franchise can be so unsettling. There is something deeply wrong about the way these organisms use living bodies, and the movie isn't afraid to emphasize that. Those sequences are among its strongest horror material.
I also find David an effective source of danger. His experiments and the way he treats other life forms introduce an unsettling intellectual cruelty that sets him apart from the creatures. The film's exploration of creation and control has potential, especially when it reveals how those ideas have been twisted through his actions.
My biggest reservation is how the movie balances its competing identities. One part wants to continue the philosophical story of Prometheus, while another seems determined to give audiences the familiar xenomorph experience. Sometimes those elements work together, and other times I feel the film is caught between them.
There are also choices about continuity and character behavior that make the narrative less convincing. I can enjoy the effects and atmosphere while still wishing the story had been more focused.
Alien: Covenant is a solid, often brutal science-fiction horror movie with interesting mythology. It doesn't have the perfect balance of the original films, but it delivers impressive body horror and enough memorable material to make the return worthwhile.
