With only four feature films under his belt as director, Fede Álvarez might not be a filmmaker you know by name. But for fans of the horror genre, he's been one to watch since helming the 2013 Evil Dead re-imagining, marking his feature directorial debut. All eyes have been on the Uruguayan director this summer as he prepared to release his latest film, Alien: Romulus. The sci-fi horror movie takes place between Ridley Scott's classic Alien (1979) and James Cameron's worthy follow-up Aliens (1986), serving as, more or less, a standalone story in the franchise.
With Alien: Romulus now playing in theaters, we're taking a look back at Álvarez's filmography and ranking his films so far. We can't wait to see what he cooks up next!
4. The Girl in the Spider's Web
The only movie in Álvarez's filmography that I don't really like is The Girl in the Spider's Web. Based on the novel of the same name as part of the Millennium book saga, the 2018 movie failed to meet the quality of its predecessor, David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011). Though Fincher's film was meant to be the start of a trilogy, box office numbers and a reported higher budget requested by the director led to Sony refusing to continue the series.
Cut to seven years later, and the series was revisited with Álvarez's entry, with the two leads being recast. And while I'm a fan of Claire Foy, the movie just falls flat. It feels strange from the start after Fincher's failed trilogy, and there's nothing that makes it stand out amongst other action-thrillers of the 2010s. It's very unfortunate that a franchise this thrilling can feel so generic, but that's what The Girl in the Spider's Web is. The good news is that this is the only dud in Álvarez's directorial filmography!
WHERE TO WATCH: Streaming on Starz, Amazon Prime Video with the Starz add-on, Hulu with the Starz add-on, YouTube with the Starz add-on
3. Don't Breathe
Álvarez is great at creating an atmosphere of suspense and dread, something that his 2016 movie Don't Breathe definitely proves. Starring Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, and Daniel Zovatto, this flick follows a group of criminals living in Detroit who rob houses. When they get word that a local blind man living alone recently won hundreds of dollars in a settlement, he's a no-brainer for them to target. But what they don't know is that this is no weak, elderly man. He's got an agenda of his own, and he's not going to let the trio out without a fight.
Don't Breathe differs from Álvarez's first film, Evil Dead, in that it doesn't rely on a lot of blood and gore to keep the scares up. Instead, the tension keeps you on the edge of your seat, and just like the characters holding their breath as they attempt to make it out of the house alive, the audience unintentionally does the same. It's incredibly effective.
WHERE TO WATCH: Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video for $3.59 and other platforms
2. Alien: Romulus
Alien: Romulus hit theaters on Friday, Aug. 16 and I rushed to go see it in theaters. There's a lot of great stuff in this movie that I'll be thinking about for a while, but there's also one glaring issue with it. I won't get into spoilers here since the movie just came out, but there's fan service throughout; most of it honestly works, but not all of it. Let's talk about the good stuff, though! Álvarez is at the top of his game as a director here, giving us an exciting, dark, bloody ride that quickly gets into the action. There are a few scenes that will go down as some of the best of the Alien franchise, and I'm excited to watch the movie again.
As a sci-fi movie, Romulus definitely leans into the horror genre quite a bit, delivering awesomely gross moments and a whole lot of tension. Cailee Spaeny absolutely shines in the leading role, and her co-stars are very good, too. Compared to Álvarez's other movies, this is still no Evil Dead, but I'm definitely happy with this installment of the Alien movie series overall.
WHERE TO WATCH: Exclusively in theaters
Now, onto Álvarez's best movie, no question...
1. Evil Dead
One of my favorite horror movies of the 2010s is Álvarez's Evil Dead (2013), which is, from start to finish, a dark, relentless blood-fest with fantastically gruesome visuals and kills. Jane Levy brings a great performance to her character Mia, a drug addict who goes to stay at a cabin with friends and family, determined to get sober. But a remote cabin in the rainy, gross woods isn't the most ideal place to go through withdrawal, especially not after you're possessed by a demon. Levy is a fantastic final girl, and I need her to do more in the horror genre!
Evil Dead (2013) is by far the scariest entry in the franchise, leaning into horror instead of comedy and delivering really memorable scenes. It does pretty much everything I want to see in a horror movie, and at this point, I've seen it so many times that it's become a comfort watch. I'll forever be thankful to Álvarez for bringing it to life.
WHERE TO WATCH: Streaming on Max, Amazon Prime Video with the Max add-on, Hulu with the Max add-on