A magnificent, multi-layered allegory of modern life. Although set largely on another planet at a point in the future, the film is more relevant to how we live our lives today than films about how we live our lives today.
Take the character of Walter, for example. A robot who looks and acts in every way like Michael Fassbender, so much so that it becomes impossible to read the character as anything other than an allegory for Michael Fassbender who is, naturally, a cypher, for everyone.
So we have the robot dressed as Michael Fassbender representing everyone and he finds himself on a ruined planet. I think the temptation is to look at a planet so utterly ruined and devoid of life and assume that it is meant to represent Croydon, however, in this respect, I think that would be a mistake. This world is so ruined that it can only mean the psychological ruin of modern humanity on the Trump/Brexit era.
Of course, the monster, the titular Alien Is clearly Trump.
Through this vividly imagined fable, we watch science fiction play out. But what we truly see is our own lives reflected in dystopian entropy and desolation.
All in all, 3 stars. Needed more laser battles.
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