Alien: Romulus

I was initially skeptical after my first watch, partly due to being in a bad mood. At the time, I found myself nitpicking: How could a group of friends steal a spaceship and launch it without being stopped? How is a humanoid robot capable of lifting tons of weight? Why do the aliens explode when shot, but seem invincible by almost any other means? Why doesn't Rain's neck break after her high-speed fall? How does Kay's son grow in seconds when there's seemingly nothing on the ship for him to consume? And why doesn't Andy reboot when his chip is removed, but he does when it's inserted? Lastly, why use a poor deepfake for Rook instead of casting a new actor and letting the film do its own thing? However, on my second watch, the experience was different. This time, I had better seats, a clearer mind, and saw it in IMAX. I realized that none of those 'flaws' really mattered. Because despite them, I still had a wonderfully immersive experience. Benjamin Wallfisch's nerve-racking score, the perfect atmosphere, and the stellar performances from the entire cast pulled me in completely. My resting heart rate shot up to 100 BPM—quite a compliment for a horror film! To me, it’s undeniable: this film kicks ass.