See the movie, ignore the vitriol

Rating: 10/10 (27 May 2017)

Superficially, this movie looks like a replay of the original Alien--a crew of people of varying capabilities, some of whom make human mistakes. (And by the way: if the original crew of Alien had been subjected to the current climate of fault-finding, the film would never have become a favorite; the Nostromo crew made quite a few dumb mistakes as well, as did the people in Aliens.)
But the apparent similarity to the first Alien is illusory. This movie is a straight-up horror film, with one of the most insidious villains (David) and one of the most genuinely terrifying endings I can remember. (Just put yourself in Daniels' place.) And for those who say that they can see the twist ending coming? Duh. You're supposed to be able to see it coming; that's where the tension arises in the last ten minutes. The ending is admittedly a set-up for the next film; but even if there is no next film, the ending still works as the ultimate horror.
The film is well acted, especially by Fassbender, who also creates a memorable and distinctive character in Walter; the rest of the crew is likable, the setting and cinematography are extraordinary.