Yahoo Movies Alien: Romulus' best decision was casting David Jonsson as Andy
Alien: Romulus has divided fans and critics alike, with there seemingly being no middle ground among the opinions. It is either a toothless nostalgia-baiting disappointment that does nothing original of its own, or Fede Álvarez's sequel is the best addition to the franchise since the original Alien movies.
The only thing we can all seem to agree on? That the heart of the movie is a synthetic human named Andy.
The movie's young cast is made up of a number of talented actors, but it is David Jonsson's turn as Andy that steals the movie. Jonsson's credits include playing a cocky conservative stock trader in critically acclaimed HBO drama Industry and sharing romantic-lead duties with Vivian Oparah in BAFTA-nominated rom-com Rye Lane.
It's quite the departure to be tasked with bringing to life an android in a sci-fi horror filled with xenomorphs and facehuggers, but it is a task he handles with alarming ease.
Andy and Rain (Cailee Spaeny) form our core unit in the movie and their relationship is endearing. Rain's characterisation – like many of the characters in the movie, who seem to exist just to later become a part of the death count – is relatively hollow.
We get to see very little about her outside of the set-up for the eventual 'trapped inside with evil creature' plot beats we're used to seeing with these kinds of movies. Any connection we as an audience feel to Rain comes almost singlehandedly from her relationship to her synthetic companion.
Where the writing in the movie could be lacklustre, it seemed all depth was reserved for Andy. His relationship with Rain is more innocent than master/servant; they squabble like siblings, with Andy cracking silly dad jokes.
Andy is tasked with making most of the decisions for the group when they reach the ship because he is apparently more rational than the crew is. While it could have been easy to play into the stiffness that a droid might function with, we are instead treated to Jonsson's expressive eyes, his conflict playing out in the most subtle ways on his face, shifting the tone of the whole movie with the smallest change in expression.
There are several points where he even feels more human than Rain does. No matter how connected Andy is to his surrogate sister, or how horrified he becomes by the horrors that awaits them on the Renaissance, he is still technically a lifeless form.
It's not the first time in the franchise we've been introduced to a non-human lifeform that asks questions of our morality; a fan-favourite performance is Michael Fassbender's take on David in Prometheus.
The relationship between the things we create and ourselves will always be a prominent theme of exploration in science fiction, and the Alien franchise is no different.
While David is a butler, surrogate son and all-round useful tool serving the head of the Weyland Corporation, he is also the antagonistic force in the movie. His obsession with creating life – just as he was created – propels him to be opposed to any and all good that humans can accomplish.
The fact that Andy is played by a Black actor adds another layer of depth and suggestion; we are watching as he struggles to fight for his own freedom, for the right to determine for himself what he is.
Where David's escape from pure synthetic ideology lay in his selfishness, in contrast it is Andy's compassion that won't let him be subjugated. His directive is to do what's best for Rain, an order he tries to execute with all of his being until he is 'upgraded'.
With a single chip, he is at one point in the movie enslaved, turned into a company agent with all his humanity wiped away to remind us of what he could be. It is a heartbreaking moment and Jonsson sells it.
By the end of the movie when he is finally the one being protected by Rain, it feels like a radical moment. The entity that is meant to sacrifice everything to fight on behalf of this lonely girl is now the one who is being looked out for. He is human because he matters to her, and it is a take that is refreshingly earnest and hopeful.
As a Black sci-fi fan, you go into these movies with a certain level of wariness with regard to Black characters because we are so used to them being pushed off to the side. What a joy, then, to see David Jonsson take centre stage and take to it so well.
All hail Andy, the synthetic human with a heart of gold.
For more on Alien: Romulus, check out:
• Alien: Romulus review
• Does Alien: Romulus have a post-credit scene?
• When will Alien: Romulus arrive on Disney+?
• The complete Alien timeline
• Alien: Romulus title has a hidden meaning
Alien: Romulus is out now in cinemas.
You Might Also Like
