Alien: Romulus is the latest addition to the Alien franchise, started by Hollywood luminary, Ridley Scott. After the last movie in the franchise, which, unfortunately, did not do too well, it looked like the Alien storyline was going to go extinct. But then Fede Álvarez came into the picture and seemed like he had breathed new life into it.
Alongside lead Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Merced joined the franchise with Romulus and has given a stellar performance. But things weren’t all sunshine and rainbows for the actress, who was scared to death while filming this sci-fi horror movie. And all thanks to her beloved director.
Fede Álvarez Gave Isabela Merced A Cold Fright
In what would be considered a very unusual direction from a movie director, Fede Álvarez had someone pour a bucket of cold water on actress Isabela Merced to gain the right reaction out of her for a scene. In a recent conversation with Josh Horowitz during the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Merced described some moments on set and the incident that had her half frightened and half cold.
There would be a lot of jump scares on set that he would like to incorporate naturally, in ways that were not too preposterous.
Merced further added:
Fede wanted me to be a little more scared when the Xenomorph lands over me, so he told somebody to simultaneously pour a whole bucket of cold water on me while the Xenomorph lands.
We can imagine the kind of fright it gave her, and the inevitable cold that would have set in after having a whole bucket of cold water being poured on top of you.
Is Alien: Romulus Really “the best installment since Aliens”?
Alien: Romulus initially debuted with a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes, before things took a turn. Currently, it sits at an 82% score, with more or less positive reviews. According to the review-aggregation website:
The first reviews of Alien: Romulus affirm the movie is scary and arguably the best installment since Aliens.
Entertainment Weekly said:
One of the best in the franchise in years.
And Variety wrote:
Alien: Romulus is one of the best Alien sequels… It delivers the slimy creep-out goods in a way that none of the last three Alien films have.
While it might have gone down a few levels, fans, as well as critics, have been pretty happy and satisfied with what Alien: Romulus has turned out to be. The movie is available in theatres worldwide.
