Alien: Romulus is one of the most successful horror films of 2024 owing to its original take on a classic horror movie franchise. Through its innovative new plot that builds off the tension and scares that made Alien and Aliens so great, along with some stellar performances, Alien: Romulus reinvigorated the Alien franchise. This is attested to by its positive reviews and current 80% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, while its obvious connections to the franchise's past helped Alien: Romulus become a box office success, the movie also featured some more subtle nods to its heritage that audiences may have missed,

Alien: Romulus follows the characters Rain and her brother Andy, an android, who attempt to escape their planet LV-410 with their friends Tyler, Kay, Bjorn, and Navarro. The group attempts to steal cryostasis gear from an abandoned space station, but are attacked by alien xenomorphs, echoing the events of multiple previous Alien movies. While details like Ian Holm's Rook are obvious callbacks, one understated reference shares a connection with one of the series' most famous lines – Bill Paxton's "Game over" improvised speech.

Alien: Romulus References Bill Paxton's Iconic Aliens Line "Game Over, Man"

The Line Can Be Heard Early In The Movie

Though Alien: Romulus takes place between the events of Alien and Aliens, the movie contains a fun reference to an iconic quote in the latter. The line "game over, man" can be heard in Alien: Romulus near the beginning of the film when Rain and Andy go to meet their friends at the ship. Bjorn is playing a game, and, when he loses, the device says "game over, man", subtly imitating Bill Paxton's famous line.

Bill Paxton supposedly improvised the line based on the message that appeared after losing in a video game, making Bjorn's game tie-in in Alien: Romulus even more fitting.

The now iconic line appeared in James Cameron's 1986 Aliens during a scene in which the team's drop-ship crashes into LV-426, stranding them. While Sigourney Weaver's Ripley begins thinking of a way to escape, Bill Paxton's Hudson starts to panic, leading to his iconic assertion, "Game over, man! Game over!" Even more interestingly, Bill Paxton supposedly improvised the line based on the message that appeared after losing in a video game, making Bjorn's game tie-in in Alien: Romulus even more fitting.

It's Difficult To Notice Alien: Romulus' Bill Paxton Easter Egg Without Subtitles

The Hidden Reference Is Very Subtle

The "game over, man" line is fairly quiet as it is not the focal point of the scene. Like any good Easter egg, it is slightly hidden. Because of the lowered volume of the device Bjorn is using, the line can be hard to distinguish at all for viewers without subtitles, meaning that many viewers may have missed it.

Despite its subtlety, the homage to Bill Paxton's iconic line fits in with Alien: Romulus's return to the creative action and horror aspects that were diluted in several previous Alien franchise installations. Moreover, listening closely to hear the famous line just gives fans of Alien: Romulus, and the Alien franchise more generally, a good reason to rewatch the movie.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes