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The Guardian
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Alien: Earth review – TV that bristles with bone-deep dread
It's usually a bad sign if you're wondering what the heck is going on in a drama when you're two episodes in, but there is an exception: you can happily ride on if you sense that, although you don't know what it's doing, the show definitely does. Such is the bristling, bewildering, overpoweringly confident aura of Alien: Earth, a new TV take on cinema's greatest sci-fi horror franchise by writer-director Noah Hawley of Fargo fame. We are in the year 2120, just the right setting for a show that plays on our fears that our grandchildren and great-grandchildren are going to live in hell. Simple green-on-black text, styled like a computer readout from the 80s, informs us that, in this broken future, corporations have taken over the universe, and which one achieves total domination will be determined by which of three technologies wins a 'race for immortality': cyborgs (enhanced humans), synths (wholly artificial beings) or hybrids (synthetic bodies with human consciousnesses implanted). The last of these is our primary concern in a first episode that mostly consigns the flesh-ripping aliens to flash-forwards so rapid they are almost subliminal. In Neverland, the laboratory complex of trillion-dollar disruptive startup Prodigy, a girl who looks to be in the last stages of terminal cancer lies down next to an inert adult figure she names Wendy. When the procedure is over, her brain has been copied from her ailing body and pasted into the entirely lifelike synthetic woman. The newly alive Wendy (Sydney Chandler) is the first hybrid and, soon, the leader of a gang of child-robot soldiers mentored by the enigmatic Kirsh, played by Timothy Olyphant sporting harrowing bleach-blond hair, an unnerving murmur and a turtleneck sweater that says something really isn't right here. Up in space, meanwhile, a crew of humans have signed up for a job with big workers' rights issues. If being managed by a humourless cyborg named Morrow (Babou Ceesay) wasn't appalling enough, their cargo of captured alien life-forms are about to break out of the laughably weak glass containers they've been stored in, kill everyone except the self-preserving Morrow, and cause the spaceship to crash as Morrow grimly tries to fulfil his obligation to the super-rich Weyland-Yutani Corporation by returning the bounty to Earth. As the ship mingles with the rubble of the tall urban Earth building it has ploughed into and a Prodigy search-and-rescue (-and-steal-anything-valuable) team descends, led by Alex Lawther as listless medic (and Wendy's long-lost brother!) Hermit, the monsters are finally on the loose. The setup is loose compared with most of the Alien movies, since the human and humanoid protagonists aren't confined with the creatures in a tin box surrounded by an endless, scream-proof void, so Alien: Earth has to find other ways to create bone-deep dread. Most obviously we have the aliens, who aren't yet particularly innovative but are suitably awesome, from a scuttling, leechlike bug to an eyeball with many, many legs and a shiny xenomorph that comes over as a little more man-like than its previous incarnations. They're the classic nightmare fuel updated and sharpened and, when they strike, they leave behind the sort of oddly beautiful tableaux of torn corpses we haven't seen since Hannibal. Sign up to What's On Get the best TV reviews, news and features in your inbox every Monday after newsletter promotion Even better is the casting, with Lawther bringing the same blank resignation he lent to The End of the F***ing World, and Chandler offsetting it with a disturbing blend of naivety and concealed power. In an obvious allegory for the rise of AI, the hybrid Wendy has been given abilities beyond what even her creators understand. Most pleasing to see is Samuel Blenkin, rewarded for his fantastic supporting turn as the resentful weakling Prince Charles in Mary & George with the key role of Boy Kavalier, the 'genius' CEO of Prodigy and the Neverland project. With his comfy robes and puppyish, young-Wonka bounce, he is the frighteningly influential tech-bro pseudo-visionary who might bring the whole world crashing down, essentially just for a laugh: one of many nice touches in Blenkin's performance is the way the Boy takes a crucial video call by lying on a bed and gripping a tablet between his raised bare feet. What Alien: Earth lacks in its opening two instalments is a propulsive, linear narrative or clarity of thematic vision, to the point where it sometimes approaches Westworld levels of making us ask the gloomy screen what in the blazes is happening. But whether it's a padded corridor filmed at a 10-degree angle, a landscape of jagged concrete and raining sparks, a wriggling creepy-crawly from space or just the look in someone's jaded eye, the series always has a way of making us feel like helpless prey being circled. Something gloriously horrific is just around the corner. Alien: Earth is on Disney+ now.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Final trailer for Alien: Earth drops another xenomorph tease, but I'm far more interested in the horror show's other unsettling creatures
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The final trailer for FX's Alien: Earth has been released It'll premiere on Hulu and Disney+ in mid-August The sci-fi horror franchise's iconic Xenomorph won't be the show's most interesting monster There's less than a month to go (at the time of publication) until Alien: Earth crash-lands on our screens. So, what better way is there to celebrate than the release of one final, terror-fuelled trailer? With the sci-fi horror show set to launch on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (internationally) in mid-August, FX Networks has decided to release one more teaser to further whet our appetite for its release. And, if you thought the Alien franchise's iconic xenomorph would be the most frightening monster that'll show up, you'd better think again. Sure, the fan-favorite biological weapon will appear in the Alien franchise's first-ever TV show. That much has been made clear ever since Alien: Earth's underwhelming first teaser dropped in September 2024. It's the show's other skin-crawling creatures, though, that have piqued my interest since FX birthed another teaser for Alien: Earth in late April. Indeed, we caught glimpses of the other extraterrestrial beings that'll show up in the series in Alien: Earth's first proper trailer in June. Now, we have confirmation of not only how many we'll actually see, but the threat they'll pose to the human and android characters who populate the show. "This ship collected specimens – five new lifeforms – from distant planets," Babou Ceesay's Morrow can he heard saying in the latest round of footage. "[They're] monsters." You can say that again. From the carnivorous venus flytrap-like creature – D. Plumricarl – seen dangling from a ceiling (see the image above) to the eye-based lifeform – T. Ocellus – that's bonded to an unsuspecting sheep (see the image below), Sydney Chandler's Wendy, Morrow, and company won't want to mess around with these life-threatening species from other worlds. For those of you who missed it first time around, here's the story brief for Alien: Earth, courtesy of FX: "In the year 2120, the Earth is governed by five corporations: Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic, and Threshold. "In this Corporate Era, cyborgs – humans with both biological and artificial parts – and synthetics – humanoid robots with artificial intelligence – exist alongside humans. But, the game is changed when the wunderkind Founder and CEO of Prodigy Corporation unlocks a new technological advancement: hybrids, humanoid robots infused with human consciousness." "The first hybrid prototype named 'Wendy' (Chandler) marks a new dawn in the race for immortality. After Weyland-Yutani's spaceship collides into Prodigy City, 'Wendy' and the other hybrids encounter mysterious life forms more terrifying than anyone could have ever imagined." Joining Chandler and Ceesay on the show's cast roster are Timothy Olyphant, Alex Lawther, Samuel Blenkin, Essie Davis, Kit Young, David Rysdahl, Lily Newmark, and Sandra Yi Sencindiver, among others. You can read more about the show's extensive cast, plot details, and its future in our ultimate guide to Alien: Earth. As we revealed in mid-May, Alien: Earth will be released on August 12. Well, in the US, plus other North American countries, and South America. In Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, it'll arrive on August 13. You might also like First trailer for Predator: Badlands drops two huge clues that it could be a new Alien Vs Predator movie in all but name See if you agree with our ranking of the best Alien movies Read our best Hulu movies guide to find out if any Alien movies appear on it Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alien Earth star dodges suggestion that his character is inspired by a specific real-world tech bro: 'I let that take care of itself'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. One of Alien: Earth's antagonists isn't based on tech bros like Elon Musk The actor behind the character didn't seek inspiration from real-world examples He let series creator Noah Hawley's writing do the talking One of Alien: Earth's stars has denied that specific examples of real-life tech bros inspired the duplicitous character he portrays in the FX TV Original. Speaking to TechRadar, Samuel Blenkin, who plays Boy Kavalier in the sci-fi horror franchise's first-ever TV project, said he simply relied on how the character had been written. For the uninitiated: Boy Kavalier is the 20-something CEO and founder of Prodigy Corporation. One of five megacorporations that essentially rule planet Earth in the Alien universe, Prodigy is at the forefront of unlocking human immortality via its Hybrid program – an experimental procedure that transfers the consciousness of a human child into an artificial adult body. However, not long after Prodigy successfully creates six Hybrids, the USCSS Maginot – a deep-space research vessel owned by Weyland-Yutani, one of Prodigy's rivals and the Alien franchise's most famous multinational – crashes into Prodigy City. Upon discovering that the Maginot was transporting five dangerous alien lifeforms, including one of the franchise's iconic Xenomorphs, to Weyland-Yutani, Kavalier takes ownership of the potentially lethal extra-terrestrials for experimental purposes. Anyone who's seen an Alien movie – or even a Jurassic Park one – knows that playing with things you don't fully understand is a recipe for disaster. Regardless of the consequences, though, the arrogant and so-called 'boy genius' Kavalier is hell-bent on unearthing the bioweapons' secrets in the Hulu and Disney+ TV Original. If Kavalier's self-important and rebellious personality seems familiar, it might be that you're reminded of supposed 'tech revolutionaries' who, like Kavalier, claim their technological advancements are for humanity's benefit in spite of concerns about their use. Need examples? How about the uncanny valley nature of Elon Musk's Tesla Bots, which some observers have likened to the Terminators from the James Cameron-created dystopian sci-fi franchise? What about artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, such as ChatGPT, that use the OpenAI software co-created by Sam Altman? Or, take a look at Facebook founder and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's all-consuming quest to make the Metaverse a real thing. For what it's worth, Blenkin rejected – or, rather, strongly sidestepped – the notion that any or all of the above, or any other tech guru, influenced his portrayal of Kavalier. Nevertheless, he also indicated that projects penned by series creator Noah Hawley (Fargo, Legion) are often a commentary on people who've been in the public eye for the last few years, and/or the ever-changing nature of our own world. In Blenkin's view, then, it's possible that characters in the franchise's inaugural TV show might be crudely influenced by certain individuals who exist right now. "I think that Noah did such a good job of painting a vivid character," Blenkin told me. "Like all of Noah's characters, they clearly have strands of the stuff that we're facing today and what's resonant right now. "But what I love is that he [Kavalier] has very specific mannerisms and obsessions," Blenkin continued. "[He has] this Peter Pan obsession, he never wear shoes or socks, he has a little ball he throws about, his attention span is lacking, and he has an obsession with childhood and childhood innocence equating with the kind of genius [he is] and seeing himself as a boy who never grew up. "He's able to break rules and not be held to the same account as an adult with that kind of morality," he added. "Everything that was written about him was so vivid on the page, so I kind of let the rest of the character threads take care of themselves." Alien: Earth launches with a two-episode premiere on Hulu (US) on August 12 and Disney+ (internationally) on August 13. Before it arrives, read my review of Alien: Earth or get the lowdown on the series our dedicated guide on Alien: Earth. You might also like Alien: Earth's official trailer is here – and the sci-fi horror series' xenomorph isn't the only frightening creature that'll need to be avoided Predator: Badlands' official trailer confirms the Alien and Predator reunion I've been waiting for Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard has correctly guessed the outline of the popular Netflix show's live-action spin-off – and it's 'like David Lynch's Twin Peaks' Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alien: Earth's Timothy Olyphant didn't want to copy some of the Alien franchise's most notable characters for a specific reason : 'No-one wants to hear me do that'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Timothy Olyphant had a very simple hack to get into character for Alien: Earth The fan-favorite actor plays a synthetic called Kirsh in the sci-fi horror TV show He didn't want to imitate actors who've played android characters in other Alien projects, either Timothy Olyphant has lifted the lid on the surprisingly easy way he got into character for Alien: Earth – and the one thing he thought it would be "unfair" to do in the sci-fi horror show. In the forthcoming FX TV Original, Olyphant plays Kirsh, a synthetic created by Prodigy Corporation, aka one of the five multinationals that effectively rule planet Earth. For the uninitiated: synethics are biomechanical humanoids – or, in layman's terms, androids – that carry out various tasks for their human creators. The Alien franchise is as renowned for its synthetics as it is for its iconic monsters and its bleak, dystopian sci-fi aesthetic. From Ian Holm's Ash in the 1979 original, to Michael Fassbender's David in 2011's Prometheus and 2014's Alien: Covenant, the Xenomorph-fronted multimedia property is full of memorable – not to mention mostly duplicitous – android characters. So, how did Olyphant set about differentiating Kirsh from synthetics we've seen in Alien: Earth's movie siblings? And what's the mysterious thing he avoided doing so Kirsh wouldn't be compared to Ash, David, or other androids like Aliens' Bishop and Alien: Romulus' Andy? "Quite honestly, bleaching my hair was intended to do exactly what you're talking about," Olyphant said when I asked him what he did to make Kirsh as distinct as possible. "That was just to say 'Oh look, now he's separated himself a little bit from what we've seen before'. "In the first movie, they [Alien's creative team] just made him [Ash] British. I felt it was unfair to do that [play a sinister character with a British accent] again. Quite honestly, no-one wants to hear me do that anyway! "I do think that, in the simplest way, that little aesthetic adjustment does a lot of the work for me," Olyphant added. "After that, I can just play the scenes and try not to get lost too much with overthinking it and just let all of the puzzle pieces fall into place. "When a scene's really well written, it does so much the work for you. It gives you a lot of room to play, because I always find it such a fun exercise to see how far you can take it in either direction and still feel like the scene holds together. It's a fun place to work from." Alien: Earth launches with a two-episode premiere on Hulu (US) on August 12 and Disney+ (internationally) on August 13. Before it's released, read my Alien: Earth review to see what I thought of its first six episodes, and then check out the section below for more coverage of the Noah Hawley-created project. You might also like Alien: Earth: everything we know so far about the forthcoming Hulu and Disney+ show Is Alien: Earth's scheming tech bro inspired by Elon Musk, Sam Altman, or Mark Zuckerburg? One of the Disney+ show's stars has his say on the matter Alien: Earth introduces new creatures as terrifying as the Xenomorph, but the show's creator didn't want to squeeze in 'a vending machine of alien life' for the sake of it Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alien: Earth isn't ignoring what happened earlier on the Alien timeline – but only because 'there isn't much mythology' to begin with, producer argues
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Alien: Earth won't reference what happened in movies that take place before it One of its producers says that gave its creator more freedom to tell his own story Fans want to know why events from prior films aren't mentioned in the FX TV series One of Alien: Earth's producers has confirmed whether events in films set before the franchise's maiden TV show were taken into account for its story. In short: no. Chatting to TechRadar ahead the sci-fi horror series' debut in mid-August, David W Zucker admitted Alien: Earth isn't actively ignoring what was outlined in past movies that predate the show from a timeline perspective. However, Zucker argued that there wasn't "much mythology to contend with" from those films prior to Alien: Earth's development – a comment that's surely to pique the interest of long-time fans, and either confuse and/or infuriate Alien devotees. Before I get into the nitty-gritty of what Zucker actually said, let's look at the facts: in-universe, Alien: Earth is set in the year 2120. That places it two years before Alien and subsequent Sigourney Weaver-led films that follow. The only movies that sit earlier on the Alien timeline, then, are Prometheus, whose main story takes place in 2093 (though the film begins in 2089), and Alien: Covenant, which takes place in 2104. You can see what we made of these films, plus their siblings, in our best Alien movies ranked piece. But I digress. Considering what happens in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant – I won't spoil what goes down for anyone who hasn't seen one or both flicks – fans have wondered if Alien: Earth will address the franchise mythology that was detailed in that pair. They are part of the Alien timeline, so that makes their stories canon and therefore open to being referenced in the FX TV Original, right? Not so, Zucker indicated when I asked him to clarify things for the property's puzzled fanbase. "Fortunately, as [series creator] Noah [Hawley] has said before, there wasn't much mythology for him to actually contend with, so it left him a great deal of latitude," Zucker replied. "But, this was something that came whole cloth out of Noah's mind, and something that through the historic relationship he's had with FX. "As soon as [FX Chairman] John Landgraf was able to seize the opportunity to explore a series in this space, there was honestly no one better that he could have tapped. "So, the relationship that he [Noah] and Ridley really became one," Zucker added. "Noah used the original film as his departure point to set off on his own fresh take and story in a series environment. It became one that we really benefited from through all of the originality, creativity, and freshness of thinking in the story he opted to tell." Zucker's comments further muddy the waters of what's been said by other individuals involved in the Hulu and Disney+ show's production. Speaking to Variety in late July, FX Entertainment President Gina Balian did little to clarify things, saying: "Everything doesn't have to fit together the way you expect from Marvel. Fans don't expect that in this universe. It doesn't have the same pressure." Elsewhere, Hawley told Empire Magazine (per PopVerse): "That first movie came out in 1979 and Prometheus came out in 2012... so you're talking about close to 40 years in which there was no black goo, no David, no Engineers. Alien, for me, is baked in as these creatures that have existed for millions of years. They're the perfectly evolved species. What you have to do is tell these stories from an organically fan-place within yourself." Not exactly clearing things up, are they – but what do you think? Does it matter if Alien: Earth addresses what went down in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant? Let me know in the comments. While we wait for the series to arrive on August 12 (US) and August 13 (internationally), check out my Alien: Earth review for my verdict on the vast majority of Hawley's latest TV production. Then, read our definitive Alien: Earth guide for the full lowdown on the forthcoming show. You might also like Alien: Earth introduces new creatures as terrifying as the Xenomorph, but the show's creator didn't want to squeeze in 'a vending machine of alien life' for the sake of it Alien: Earth star Timothy Olyphant only needed to do one thing to get into character for the sci-fi horror show: 'It does a lot of the work for me' Is Alien: Earth's scheming tech bro inspired by Elon Musk, Sam Altman, or Mark Zuckerburg? One of its stars has his say on the matter Solve the daily Crossword
