Starring Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride, Billy Crudup, Demián Bichir, Carmen Ejogo, Jussie Smoltz

(6-Good Film)

Uneven. Interesting. Intriguing.

The Covenant, a ship full of people searching for a new home find themselves on a detour from hell after the captain stops on a mysterious planet. The Covenant’s crew explore, and the film becomes a sci-fi slasher flick thereafter. Horror films and big-budget spectacle don’t have a great track record. The best horror flicks are often inexpensive sleeper films (this year’s Get Out for example). Ridley Scott’s third venture into his Alien franchise is successful enough as an entertainment. The visuals are incredible, the cast with limited depth of character to work with are fine. Michael Fassbender is given the only truly interesting role (double roles actually) in David and Walter, androids of different models. The film is a bit of a mess thematically, but still intriguing with thoughts of creation and power. That aspect of Alien: Covenant might warrant a second viewing down the road. Otherwise, it’s an ambitious slasher film, complete with a ridiculous, gratuitous sex/murder scene that seems straight out of a Jason flick.

-Walter Tyrone Howard-

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