Harvest immediately sets the 'Alien' tone perfectly, with a straggling crew navigating through dark corridors under the duress of an Alien. However, I think it burrows too comfortably in its source material, not exactly bringing anything new to the table. In order for these shorts to be able to stand out amongst each other and the Alien franchise as a whole, they need to have a unique and original premise, which, unfortunately Harvest doesn't have.
However, what it lacks in originality, the short makes up for with strong performances and great practical effects. In fact, I wished they used the Alien suit more extensively. They really went all in on the costume design. The shot of the facehugger emerging from the egg was also fantastically done.
I also really appreciate the twist that the "strong heroine" lead actually turned out to be a double-crossing android all along! Not particularly original having an evil android in an Alien film, but it was a genuinely unexpected twist that pretty much carries the short. Her evil smile after the other character figures out her true nature was perfect.
Overall, pretty much a great short all around that's only slightly held by a pretty generic plot for Alien standards. Would still recommend a watch though.
However, what it lacks in originality, the short makes up for with strong performances and great practical effects. In fact, I wished they used the Alien suit more extensively. They really went all in on the costume design. The shot of the facehugger emerging from the egg was also fantastically done.
I also really appreciate the twist that the "strong heroine" lead actually turned out to be a double-crossing android all along! Not particularly original having an evil android in an Alien film, but it was a genuinely unexpected twist that pretty much carries the short. Her evil smile after the other character figures out her true nature was perfect.
Overall, pretty much a great short all around that's only slightly held by a pretty generic plot for Alien standards. Would still recommend a watch though.