FX’s ‘Alien: Earth’ — Electrifying, Ambitious, Expensive, and Led by a Hollywood Rebel
Alien: Earth is here, poised to send shivers down your spine while smacking you across the face with the grotesque reality of our totally chill and not-at-all dystopian corporate overlords. Noah Hawley’s take on the Alien franchise doesn’t just reboot the terror we love; it kicks it up a notch by sprinkling in existential dread and some truly unhinged sci-fi chaos.
Meet the Corporate Hellscape of 2120
Before we get into the hybrids, synths, and terrifying aliens (oh my), let’s talk about Earth. Or what’s left of it. Forget countries. By 2120, corporations are the ruling class. Prodigy Corp, Weyland-Yutani, and others have divided the world up like a pizza, with each mega-company serving a side of horrifying ethical implications. From New Siam’s swampy reserves (think cyber Bangkok on steroids) to tiered cities where the higher you live, the richer you are (shocker), Alien: Earth smothers you in a sticky layer of oppression you can almost smell. Fun stuff, right?
Hybrids, Synths, and Cyborgs, Oh My!
Now, here’s the real kicker. Prodigy Corp, the “new kid on the corporate block,” has found a delightfully heinous way to make use of terminally ill kids. Right before they kick the proverbial bucket, these unlucky youths get uploaded into indestructible synthetic bodies. Think super-tough Barbie meets RoboCop. They’re faster. Stronger. But emotionally? Yeah, still total kids. And now they’re tasked with hunting down alien monsters that escaped from a crashed spaceship very conveniently dropped right into an Earth they can’t leave. No pressure, right?
The first and most tragic of these hybrids is Wendy (Sydney Chandler), who was a child… with dreams… and a life… until she became part of Prodigy’s freaky “immortality project.” Hawley takes one look at that concept and goes, “Now what if we make it morally horrifying?” Yeah, brace yourselves for some heart-wrenching moments.
Monsters That’ll Haunt Your Nightmares (and Binge-Watch Brain)
Speaking of nightmares, the aliens in Alien: Earth are meant to ruin sleep cycles everywhere. Hawley’s whole “genetic revulsion” angle means these monsters are a step beyond xenomorphs. Imagine flying insects with terrible judgment, vines that will absolutely eat you alive, and a tentacled eyeball that hijacks your body through your own eye socket. Lovely, isn’t it? Bonus points for creatures that feel like they’ve crawled out of both your childhood fears and your college biology textbook.
Timothée Chalamet? No, It’s Boy Kavalier
Samuel Blenkin’s Boy Kavalier, the CEO of Prodigy Corp, is what happens when unchecked child prodigy energy meets questionable life goals. At 22, this guy owns half the planet and walks around barefoot in pajamas because “everything is just my house now.” He’s Peter Pan, but not in the fun way. He’s kidnapping kids… metaphorically… maybe not. Oh, and his arrogance? Off the charts. He’s basically Elon Musk’s worst tweets come to life.
Kavalier’s company town, Neverland (because subtlety is overrated), might seem neat. But when you’re cleaning mold off your own living space while dodging alien attacks, you might reconsider.
Why This Isn’t Just Another TV Show
Sure, Alien movies have scared our pants off for decades, but Alien: Earth asks the real question, “What happens when we hand the keys to the kingdom to trillionaires?” Spoiler alert: nothing good. Hawley intertwines body horror, corporate horror, and moral horror like some twisted triple espresso of anxiety. It’s not just about surviving alien attacks or hunting monsters; it’s a brutal look at humanity losing itself to greed, technology, and some truly bad decision-making.
Even Timothy Olyphant as Kirsh, a chill yet suspiciously shady “synthetic,” can’t save humanity from its own stupidity. And when he gets poetic in one episode’s closing monologue about humans’ precarious place in the food chain? Yeah, you’re going to need a snack break to recover.
Should You Watch It?
Do you like sweaty suspense, gorgeous dystopian visuals, and ethically messy characters who’ll have you shouting at your TV? Then yes. Do the aliens freak you out? Good. Are you ready to yell, “Where are the adults?!” aloud every time Boy Kavalier is on screen? Also, yes.
Hulu, FX, and Disney+ internationally are rolling out this beast of a show on August 12. And if you’re not hyped for Alien: Earth, well… you must be living in Humanity Minus already.
