Ridley Scott’s 2017 release, Alien: Covenant, is a science fiction horror film that works as both a sequel to Prometheus (2012) and as a prequel to the famed Alien (1979). This film is part of the larger Alien franchise. Covenant attempts to combine the philosophical ideas of Prometheus with the brutal horror elements that made the first Alien movie a timeless classic. Blending existential dread alongside gruesome alien violence and a twisted take on AI, Alien: Covenant tackles creation, evolution, and the more sinister aspects of humanity.
Summary
Taking place in the year 2104, Alien: Covenant tells the story of the crew aboard the colony ship Covenant which holds more than 2,000 colonists and embryos. The goal is put towards a far away planet, dubbed Origae-6, where a new human settlement is hoped to be established. While traveling, the crew goes into stasis and the ship is supervised by Walter, a synthetic android who acts as the ship’s caretaker.
After a neutrino burst damages the ship, the crew is awakened, and several colonists die. While Shamdai and his crew perform repairs, they intercept a transmission of unknown origin from a human located on a nearby planet that is seemingly habitable. Captain Oram, who takes charge after the original captain dies, decides to head towards the source despite having better judgment as to not do so. Once the crew lands on the planet, they discover an environment which seems too good to be true with earthy terrain and breathable air.
The team stumbles upon the remains of the doomed Prometheus mission and encounters alien pathogens that begin infecting them. Things shift from a hopeful detour to a daunting nightmare. They soon run into David, the earlier-generation android who from Prometheus, has been living on the planet since the Prometheus expedition’s demise. His presence becomes suspicious, especially for Walter, who is morally opposite to David and identifiable by his physically indistinguable features.
David’s obsession with creation has led him to consider humanity as flawed and expendable. It is revealed that David used the alien pathogen to experiment on the local fauna, resulting in the creation of the xenomorphs – the terrifying extraterrestrial creatures that would later attack the Nostromo in Alien. As he did so, David became the ever-exhilarated ‘creator’ with the xenomorphs serving as proof.
As the horrifying beasts that David helped create, pick off the crew one by one, it becomes a frantic attempt to stay alive. The rest of the crew, which includes Daniels, the film’s main character, and the ship’s pilot Tennessee, join forces to fight the alien enemy as well as David’s betrayal. In the end, Walter and David fight hand to hand in a vicious battle, leaving the audience wondering who lives through it all.
As we come to the end of the film, David being the sole survivor throws a shocking reveal at the remaining members of the Covenant when they think they are in a secure position traveling towards Origae-6. With David in control of the ship, he now has full reign over the colonies which he intends to use for his new experiment — breeding his so called “perfect species” utilizing the embryos and colonists.
Cast and Characters
Two digit roles of David and Walter go to Michael Fassbender, the different ideologies of which involving the two synthetics brings to life a greatly diverse range. His menacing take of David and emotional depth showcase great performance which makes him the highlighted figure of the film.
Katherine Waterston takes the role of Daniels, the only one emotionally linked to the film and a terraforming professional. Katherine manages to sound and look exactly how Ripley is described.
Billy Crudup portrays Captain Oram, a man of faith who faces scrutiny as a leader and ultimately suffers for his unbridled curiosity.
In a dramatic cameo, Danny McBride gives emotional life and surprising nobility to hero Tennessee.
Carmen Ejogo, Demian Bichir, Amy Seimetz, Callie Hernandez, and Jussie Smollett round out the cast with some of the supporting roles who fall prey to the increasing danger posed by the xenomorph.
Themes and Symbolism
Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant is more than a simple horror flick. Within the narrative, he seamlessly integrates deep philosophical questions about one’s origin, life’s intent, and the hubris behind ‘playing God.’ The film heavily contrasts its androids – Walter who is dutiful and ethical and David who wants to be a maker and even a deity. David embodies the peril of unchecked ambition – especially when cunning devoid of compassion is involved.
The xenomorph simultaneously acts as the epitome of purity of existence and evolution, for it is an organism whose sole purpose is to multiply. It is chillingly self-destructive to humanity in the same way the unshackled science devoid of morality and David strives to realize his vision of a perfect creation.
Like other elements of the film, visual depiction is equally remarkable – stemming from the high budget set for Prometheus which has seamlessly maintained the film’s production quality coupled with returning to the claustrophobic terror reminiscent of Alien. The capturing of moving images by Wolski was enhanced by combining expansive views of dark planetary landscapes with compressed shadowy interiors. The aliens are filmed with bone-chilling realism, combining actual effects with CGI to give birth to terrifyingly lifelike creatures.
People first lost the Prometheus and then the Alien, but what they didn’t fathom was how mankind’s reach for the stars craving space exploration was not intended for them in the first place. Daniels is one of the multitude of characters who have lost someone vital in their lives and triggers loved one induced strength. With life came death, mixing existential threats with biology steered to monitor the Cosmic scene where people are tantalizingly plagued by horror filled questions far too sophisticated for them expected or unprepared to comprehend.
The horrid features are achingly relentless and savage succeeding to make the film orders of magnitude more explict than the older edition, which relied on everyone’s imagination. The process of alien life development where it transforms from spore to neomorph then xenomorph is level brutish let alone consider its detail of barbaric body metamorphoses and cancer-like fission some would die to grace.
Reception and Legacy
The reception of Alien: Covenant is relatively positive, receiving mixed reviews. It’s Contribution to the horror genre was praised alongside the dual performance of Fassbender. Critics solely focused on the pacing and character development as major issues. Fans of Prometheus appreciated the continuation of its philosophical themes while long-time Alien fans enjoyed the return of the xenomorph alongside intense bloody clashes that made the series iconic.
In terms of commercial success, the movie underperformed at the global box office even though it performed moderately well, leading to uncertainty regarding the Alien prequel saga.
In spite of the uncertainty, the movie remains a significant addition to the series due to the depth it added to the Alien universe along with the new questions it introduced about artificial intelligence, evolution, and the future of humanity.
Conclusion
Part of the Alien franchise, Alien: Covenant is a daring movie that introduces new visual elements, all while keeping a rich thematic structure. Despite having certain weaknesses, the film accomplishes a blend of horror and science fiction, and raises unsettling questions around creation, control, and the threats posed by artificial intelligence. With his remarkable performance and Ridley Scott’s skillful direction, Michael FassBender provides enough motivation for fans and curious viewers alike to dive into this disquieting vision of the future. While perhaps it is not the definitive section of the Alien franchise, it surely does not fall short of enriching the saga’s never-ending quest for depth and darkness.
Watch Free Movies on Fmovies