Alien: Romulus has garnered lots of attention. It's the first time in nearly two decades that a director other than Ridley Scott is dabbling in the world of the Xenomorphs proper (sorry, AvP films). It's also set after the events of the first two Alien films, which will inevitably lead to comparisons between the new film and its beloved predecessors.
It's a lot to contend with, but here's the thing: Fede Alvarez has done this before. The director has stepped into a beloved franchise, taken the reins from an established auteur, and managed to pull it off with flying colors. We're talking, of course, about his 2013 film Evil Dead.
Evil Dead (2013) is streaming on Hulu and Max
Evil Dead, which is currently streaming on Max and Hulu, was a reboot/sequel to the beloved Sam Raimi trilogy of the same name. Alvarez was handpicked by Raimi on the strength of his short film, Ataque de pánico! (2009). The reason the director didn't cite any of Alvarez's feature film work was because he didn't have any. Evil Dead was Alvarez's debut as both a writer and director.
Raimi's instincts proved right. Alvarez's Evil Dead sequel is an absolute treat for fans of gore and visually striking imagery. These two elements work in tandem throughout the film's 92 minute run time. Alvarez managed to take the dark humor of the original Evil Dead trilogy and amplify it to such an extent that one will find themselves questioning why they laughed.
The film is beloved by original Evil Dead fans
Alvarez has a real knack for staging memorably violent set pieces. The tree assault, for example, is somehow more visceral and disturbing that the one in the first film. Then, of course, there's the final confrontation, which protagonist Mia (Jane Levy) takes a chainsaw to the head of one of the titular deadites.
Mia not only splits the thing in two, but does so while the cabin behind her burns, and blood rains from the sky. It's absurd and awesome and horrifying and hilarious in equal measure. Evil Dead 2013 is not for the squeamish, but Alvarez proved that he had the chops to play in the sandbox of an iconic property and add to it in a meaningful way.
We hope that the Fede Alvarez who showed up to direct Alien: Romulus was the same guy who did Evil Dead, and not that atrocious The Girl In the Spider's Web (2018). The less said about that sequel the better.