Alien began in 1979 with one of the best taglines in cinema history: “In space, no one can hear you scream.”

Since then, the Ridley Scott Alien franchise has grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide, though not always through chills. Alien: Romulus is a step back towards fear.

Fede Álvarez’s film attempts to bridge the chasm between the terror of the original Alien and the more action-packed sequels. While it doesn’t quite reach the heights of its legendary predecessors, it succeeds in reinvigorating the franchise with a claustrophobic horror that had been missing in recent entries.

Romulus is thick with dread, and the xenomorphs are once again the stuff of nightmares. But where Romulus truly shines is in its restraint, focusing on the primal fear of the unknown rather than bombarding the audience with relentless action. It’s a throwback to the films of the 70’s, and the internet has been harsh on the decision.

The cast delivers solid performances, particularly Cailee Spaeny, who brings a raw vulnerability to her role, reminiscent of Sigourney Weaver’s iconic portrayal of Ripley. The dialogue, while occasionally stilted, serves its purpose in a film that thrives on silence and tension rather than words.

It does stagger in its pacing, with scenes that feel stretched thin and some narrative threads dropped. A subplot involving a mysterious signal from a distant planet is introduced with great intrigue but is ultimately left unexplored. But the missteps aren’t felonious.

The Alien franchise has had its share of missteps, none more glaring than Alien: Covenant. While Covenant tried to recapture the horror of the original, it ended up as a disjointed mess, leaning too heavily on philosophical musings at the expense of the visceral fear that made the series iconic. Romulus wisely avoids those pitfalls, grounding itself in the terror that lurks in the shadows.

Maybe no one can hear you scream in space, but you can almost make out a franchise getting back on its feet.