Reviews
‘Alien: Earth’ Episode 4 Brutally Breaks New Ground for the Franchise [Review]
Wendy finds her voice and makes a move as a bad situation gets worse in a masterful, mysterious, masochistic new episode of ALIEN: EARTH.
“I can speak for myself.”
It’s never a good idea to try to get ahead of a Noah Hawley series and each Alien: Earth episode has been a terrifying, contemplative experience. Four episodes in, Alien: Earth’s first season has reached its half-way point and it’s still as inscrutable as it is exciting. The series has already proven itself to be a satisfying Alien show.
However, it’s also a bizarrely-apt modern retelling of Peter Pan that’s a sci-fi-laden coming-of-age story that shares as much with Steven Spielberg’s A.I. as it does with Ridley Scott’s horror classic. This narrative mash-up is such a natural fit that it’s easy to see why Peter Pan is a story that’s so prone to being retold and remixed. Alien: Earth is just a rare case where evil corporations, murderous aliens, and skeptical androids are also part of the equation. “Observation” is the best application of the show’s growing Peter Pan obsession yet, but it’s also the series’ most thought-provoking installment and a fascinating meditation on communication.
Wendy’s humanity and its potential salvation or corruption have clearly been priorities to Alien: Earth right from the jump. It’s been fascinating to watch Wendy evolve throughout these episodes, much like the Xenomorphs that have infiltrated her life. Wendy’s growth might not be as flashy as the Xenomorphs’, but it’s been just as fruitful. “Observation” is an especially rewarding episode when it comes to the most important relationships in Wendy’s life, whether it’s her bond with her brother, Hermit, or her surrogate parental figures, Kirsh and Kavalier. The latter of these relationships has been one of Alien: Earth’s most rewarding dynamics. The push-and-pull between Kirsh and Kavalier has been amicable up until this point. “Observation” leans into the growing tension that’s continually developed. Alien: Earth presents Kavalier and Kirsh like divorced parents who are caught in a custody battle over what’s best for Wendy. In many ways, that is what is going on here, just on an infinitely more grandiose scale.
It’s heartbreaking that Kavalier understands that Wendy and Hermit are simultaneously each other’s strength and weakness. Kavalier manipulates the siblings and uses their love for each other as a liability that can be exploited. It’s deeply uncomfortable, especially since Kavalier’s experiment works so well. There’s hopefully a very special brand of painful destruction that’s waiting for Kavalier if and when he’s eliminated. Alien: Earth’s handling of Kavalier has been a tense experience. Kavalier is the most compelling that he’s ever been in “Observation” and he finally comes out of his shell a little more. He’s someone who seems plainly wicked and that he prioritizes the company over the individual, but it’s fascinating to see how he communicates and activates Wendy. He seemingly understands Wendy better than Kirsh and is able to bridge this gap, just like Wendy can do with the Xenomorphs.
Kavalier’s growth also feeds into a burgeoning rift between Wendy and Curly. This development is still in its infancy, but it’s not hard to picture a scenario in which Curly teams up with Kirsh in order to hurt Kavalier and Wendy. There’s also something for Alien: Earth’s husband-and-wife scientist team, Arthur (David Rhysdahl) and Dame Sylvia (Essie Davis), to do in “Observation.” They begin to feel guilty and question what they’re doing, which is encouraging, but not enough to actually set them down the right path. If nothing else, these two are beginning to feel like actual characters and not just appendages to Alien: Earth’s headier science experiments. These relationships also allow Alien: Earth to explore how companies literally own their employees and turn them into commodities. This is a fate that befalls Hermit and Wendy, albeit in completely different ways that are equally harrowing.
Alien: Earth’s continued conversations on identity and humanity remain fascinating. However, the most interesting material to come out of “Observation” involves the revelation that Wendy, as a hybrid, is able to hear the Xenomorph’s alien language and communicate with it. This connection doesn’t frighten Wendy, but rather, it excites her. She wants to hear and respond. She wants a voice; truly and finally. This power makes Wendy feel like she’s uniquely important to bridge this gap and help humanity evolve. On a grander scale, this is an incredible idea to explore and there are serious ramifications regarding why human consciousness in a robotic body would now somehow be able to communicate with an extraterrestrial creature. This becomes the crux of “Observation,” but also potentially Alien: Earth as a whole. This link might even be the whole point of this extra chapter in the Alien saga.
Wendy’s communication with the Xenomorph is genuinely beautiful. It’s a sequence that feels like it’s been ripped right out of Prometheus or even Arrival. It’s also worth pointing out that this is a concept that, on some level, was explored to some degree in Shane Black’s The Predator. Rest assured, Alien: Earth handles it infinitely better. There’s a powerful confidence in this material and how it’s handled. That being said, the show’s compulsion to equate Wendy’s skill with Peter Pan’s “ticking crocodile” and the portent of doom that it represents for Captain Hook is a little glib and too satisfied with itself. It’s a connection that works, even if it’s unnecessary.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, “Observation” showcases another tour de force body horror sequence with its sheep infection, infiltration, and revival. It’s genuinely creepy on a visceral level that the Xenomorph fails to reach, but what follows is even more unnerving. Alien: Earth has been so good with these one-two punch elements where it delivers a familiar horror and then takes it somewhere completely original. To make all this even more compelling, Kirsh and Kavalier’s contrasting reactions to this discovery are just as exciting. All this fear and tension comes from a freaking sheep, which is proof alone that Alien: Earth is cooking with gas and has crafted the perfect tone for this universe.
“Observation” also begins to dislodge a scab that it’s been picking at since its start regarding restitution when there’s an increasingly fluid definition of identity. The idea of repaying a debt becomes considerably more complex when individuals can potentially live forever. This becomes even more interesting when it’s paired together with how society reappropriates legends and iconography, like the “Three Wise Monkeys” and applies them to new, modern ideals. Parables can also exist for an eternity, but their meaning can just as easily become a warped funhouse mirror distortion of its original message. “When is a machine not a machine,” is a question that hangs over the heads of several characters in “Observation.”
“Observation” sticks its landing and its final revelatory moments are simultaneously beautiful and terrifying. Wendy’s genuine excitement over being able to communicate with this otherworldly creature – and perhaps even help it – gives her a rare chance to become a parental figure of her own. Wendy may not have sinister intentions, but it’s hard to picture any of this going well. Alien: Earth may turn Xenomorphs into a nature versus nurture situation and make them not inherently vicious. This would certainly be a controversial decision, so it will be interesting to see where this is all headed. Much like how Kirsh watches on from the distance, the audience is mystified and curious about what’s next. It’s an experience that must be similar to what Wendy Darling felt when she saw Neverland for the first time.
Reviews
‘Hungry’ Review – Finally, a Film Brave Enough to Call Out Hippos for the Monsters They Truly Are
When it comes to the animal attack subgenre of horror, there’s a hierarchy of sorts with the wildlife in question. Killer shark movies are easily the most ubiquitous, while alligators/crocodiles, dogs, bears, and snakes probably lead the rest of the pack.
It’s often worth paying attention, though, when a filmmaker targets a more atypical animal threat, including the likes of Jonathan King’s Black Sheep or Juan Piquer Simón’s Slugs. A new contender rumbles its way onto the screen this month, and while we all grew up thinking hippos are rotund cuties, the truth is far more frightening – this hippo is Hungry.
Sistine (Madison Davenport) and her best friend, Hannah (Olivia Bernstone), are enjoying a vacation in New Orleans, hoping to drown out their troubles back home. They sign up for an early morning bayou tour known for its alligator sightings and are joined by four other tourists and the boat’s skipper, Rodrigo (Michel Curiel). An uneventful trip sees Rodrigo take the group off the beaten path, but when an animal in the water capsizes their boat, the group finds themselves trapped in the swamp by something unexpected and deadly.
It’s a hippo. There’s a hippo in the bayou, and it’s not happy about all these pesky people.
From Joy Houck’s Creature from Black Lake to Walter Hill’s Southern Comfort to Adam Green’s Hatchet, the movies have warned us time and again not to go into the swampy bayous of Louisiana. Those cautionary tales are appreciated, though, as bigfoot, inbred hicks, and undead serial killers are a very real threat. But hippos? In the bayou? Well, that just seems silly.
And yet, Hungry plays its blubbery, big-toothed threat with deadly seriousness, and it’s all the better for it. “But Rob,” I can already hear some of you saying, “just yesterday you reviewed the new shark attack film, Chum, and said it suffered from taking itself too seriously. What gives?” For one thing, you’re misquoting me, but more importantly, the reference there was more of an observation on the animal attack subgenre successes as a whole. The “fun” ones tend to succeed more often than their more serious counterparts, but a dramatic and thrilling time can still be found with filmmakers who know what they’re doing.
Chum may be serious, but it’s also poorly written/performed, lacking in any degree of tension, devoid of personality, and so on. By contrast, Hungry lets its suspense build on the backs of engaging characters, good performances, and believable writing. Only one of its ensemble is obnoxious – a major feat for this kind of film – but even then, their motivations are both well-written and understandable.
The rest of the characters are people you’d be happy to see survive the night, and rather than looking forward to the next kill, director James Nunn and his cast leave us uncertain and nervous about who’s going to go belly up. The nervous business traveler wanting to get back to her kids? The family of three celebrating lost loved ones while on their vacation? Joaquim de Almeida’s Walker, an old hunter, is introduced saying, “The only cute hippo is a dead hippo,” so you pretty much know where he’ll end up.
To that end, the film teases out its hippo’s first appearance until well into the ninety-minute running time. We get ripples and splashes, but it’s only around the midway point that we get our first real look at the beast, and it looks fantastic. Nunn goes on to show the hippo in all its glory, and it’s a convincing antagonist brought to life through practical prosthetic effects and digital work. From the ear twitches to the beast’s giant maw opening wide with awe and malice, the hippo’s presence feels part of the action. There’s a tangible nature to it, something practical effects excel at while digital effects sometimes fail to convince of, and both succeed here with quality work from all involved.
While we get brief exteriors early on and some visually appealing drone shots, the bulk of the film unfolds on what looks to be a highly believable, set-dressed water tank (but could very well be an actual location, in which case, kudos to the team). It’s wholly convincing as a section of the bayou, complete with shoulder-high water and arching, twisting trees emerging into the sky. The film was shot in Malta, which is, coincidentally, where Chum was filmed as well.
Nunn, who also wrote Hungry, is now ten films deep into a fairly interesting career as a genre filmmaker. He’s made four movies with Scott Adkins, three of which are certified action bangers (with 2016’s Eliminators in particular being an underrated gem). He dipped a toe into the animal attack subgenre back in 2022 with the aforementioned Shark Bait, and it’s clear he learned some lessons from that endeavor, as its first hour is an engaging, attractively shot feature that sinks fast as soon as its poorly rendered shark becomes a lead character. Hungry improves on every aspect of that film, with its biggest step up being in regard to the effects.
If there’s an area or two where Hungry lacks bite, it’s in both its gore and its ending. There are numerous kills here, but the nature of the attacks and the choices made by Nunn mean none of them result in gory assaults or outcomes. We’re shown the torn apart corpse of an alligator early on, but most of the human kills see them attacked and dragged underwater, leaving nothing but a blood spill behind. Similarly, while the ending encounter satisfies, it still feels like it should have been a bigger confrontation. Neither of these aspects really hurt the film, but a bolstering of the gore and ending antics would have definitely upped the film’s ultimate entertainment value and rewatchability.
When all is said and done, Hungry is a genuinely solid animal attack film that succeeds in making its creature threat thrilling, entertaining, and, dare I say, educational? Title notwithstanding, the film acknowledges that hippos are vegetarians, meaning the five hundred or so people they kill every year – a true fact! – are slaughtered not out of hunger, but out of spite, self-defense, or a desire to play “land orca” while tossing around us fragile humans like we’re little more than seals in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Characters are grounded and engaging, the film moves well between suspense, character beats, and action, and the effects used to bring the hippo to life are highly effective and never feel like distractions. Drop those expectations of a Hungry Hungry Hippo romp, and settle in for a terrific little survival thriller about an angry, angry hippo instead.
Chomp chomp.
Hungry releases in select theaters today, June 3, before arriving on VOD on June 23, 2026.
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