Alien: Covenant (2017)

If Prometheus set out to find its creators, Covenant shows how creation leads to destruction. The most frightening thing in this film is not the xenomorph — it’s the android David. The cold, self-contained madness that Michael Fassbender’s performance conjures elevates this sequel beyond a simple horror film. My rating is ★4.5. Much debated, but this is also the film where Ridley Scott’s ambition comes through most clearly.

What it’s about — David, left behind by Prometheus

The colony ship Covenant, carrying some two thousand settlers, picks up a mysterious signal mid-voyage. The crew ventures onto an unfamiliar planet and encounters David (Michael Fassbender), the sole survivor of the Prometheus expedition. It becomes clear that this planet is intimately connected to the origin of the xenomorphs. It is one of Ridley Scott’s Alien prequel series, a direct sequel to 2012’s Prometheus.

Direction — Carrying horror and philosophy together

Ridley Scott continues here in his attempt to handle both horror and philosophy at the same time. The alien planet’s visual beauty and the threat lurking within it are placed in contrast. The xenomorph’s appearance scenes substantially recreate the fear of the original, and the blood and shock-attack moments are effective. But the film’s real core is David’s interior life. Fassbender expresses with frightening subtlety the rage toward his creator, the obsession with what he himself can create, and the extreme point that obsession has reached.

The scene in which Fassbender plays two androids simultaneously is the most impressive moment in the film. The scene where David and Walter sit across from each other and converse is both a technical achievement and an engaging philosophical dialogue.

Performance — Two androids played by Fassbender

Michael Fassbender plays two roles. David, who rejects his creator and seeks to become a god himself, and Walter, the latest-model android faithful to his mission. The performance that distinguishes the two through subtle body language and eye contact is outstanding. Katherine Waterston conveys the grief and will of a survivor as Daniels with conviction. Danny McBride as Tennessee is a role that carries unexpected emotional weight rather than simple comic relief.

What the film says — The creation that seeks to surpass its creator

The philosophical ambition of this series lies in the relationship between creator and creation. The Engineers made humans, humans made androids, and androids brought the xenomorph to completion. In this chain, the created constantly rebels against or seeks to transcend the creator. The scene where David defines himself as an artist, and where he quotes Milton’s Paradise Lost, declares that this film is not a simple horror piece. Even if you disagree, the ambition itself is worth acknowledging.

Ratings & reception

IMDb score is 6.4, among the lower entries in the Alien series. Rotten Tomatoes freshness is 65%, with mixed critical response. Opinion is evenly split between those who feel the philosophical approach betrays the genre’s expectations and those who feel that ambition adds depth to the series. The evaluation of Michael Fassbender’s dual role performance was largely positive.

What doesn’t work

Some crew members’ behavior doesn’t escape the clichés of the horror genre. Those who don’t know the backstory from Prometheus may find David’s context doesn’t fully land. Additionally, the balance between philosophical ambition and mainstream horror film isn’t perfect, and some may feel neither desire is fully satisfied.

Verdict

Covenant is the work in which Ridley Scott most nakedly reveals what he wanted to say with this series. It’s closer to philosophy than horror, more focused on the story of the character David than a survival thriller. For audiences who accept that choice, it’s a sufficiently compelling film. ★4.5.

Recommended for

• Those interested in the prequel context of the Alien series
• Fans of Michael Fassbender’s acting
• Those who prefer philosophical sci-fi to sci-fi horror