The most disturbing scene in 'Alien: Romulus' was teased months ago — here's why it hits so hard
20th Century Studios
- Many were shocked by an extreme scene at the end of "Alien: Romulus."
- Actor Isabela Merced teased the "disgusting" moment in a February interview that now makes sense.
- "Alien" has long pushed the boundaries of body horror, but here's why this scene is so disturbing.
Warning: Major spoilers for "Alien: Romulus" ahead.
"Alien: Romulus" star Isabela Merced teased a gross-out scene from the film several months ago, saying that not even the crew could watch it.
In the movie, a group of interplanetary scavengers break into a derelict space station to find the supplies.
Once inside, they discover evidence of horrific experiments on the Xenomorph alien race, and have to fight to survive.
20th Century Studios recruited "Evil Dead" director Fede Alvarez to bring the sequel to life. And there's one moment that stands above the rest of the film.
In February, Merced told The Hollywood Reporter that the scene was so disturbing that the crew couldn't watch it when Alvarez showed off the footage on an iPad.
"There's a scene that I'm in, and they all had to turn away. Not one person stayed looking at that iPad because it was so disgusting," she recalled.
It's understandable that the crew couldn't watch the scene in question because Merced's character, Kay, gives birth to a horrific monster.
A shocking birth
20th Century Studios
Kay reveals that she's pregnant early in the story, which should send warning signs to any horror fan since that immediately makes her more vulnerable than the rest of the crew.
The franchise has always subverted ideas about birth since the iconic chest-burster scene in 1979's "Alien."
But in the 2024 movie, the space scavengers discover a gooey black serum derived from the Xenomorphs, which the corporation running the space station wanted to give to humans to enhance them.
So when Kay gets injured by the Xenomorphs, she injects herself with it to save her baby. Uh oh.
Fast-forward to the end of the movie, the substance has drastically altered Kay's DNA, causing her to give birth to a revolting giant egg that contains a Xenomorph/human hybrid.
The creature (called the "Offspring" in the credits) continues to grow at an alarming rate and eventually grows to over seven feet tall, with elongated limbs and a secondary mouth.
It then returns to breastfeed from Kay because the serum has caused her body to secrete a sticky substance.
The scene is foreshadowed early on, as Rain (Cailee Spaeny) walks past a Renaissance-style painting of a baby suckling on its mother's corpse.
The scene is also notable for seeming to rely on practical effects, not CGI. Romanian basketball player Robert Bobroczkyi physically plays the Offspring.
When speaking to USA Today, Alvarez praised Bobroczkyi's performance.
"He did an amazing performance for someone that has never done that before. Being tall is one thing — next to Cailee who is 5 feet tall, that's magic. But he really brought a talent that blew us all away. He goes toe-to-toe with Isabela in a face-to-face (encounter) and he's fantastic," he explained.
It's unsurprising that the scene has got horror fans talking, and many are already speculating what a sequel would look like.
The buzz surrounding "Alien: Romulus" has led to an impressive first weekend, as it raked in $108 million worldwide, per Deadline.