Directed by: Daniel Espinosa
Written by: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds
IMDb Link
A movie called Life where everybody dies? I bet someone pat themselves on the back when they came up with that title.
*Warning: Spoilers Ahead*
Scientists on the ISS bring on samples from a Mars probe that contain a frozen organism which, once brought back to life, proceeds to systematically grow and consume the members of the crew in brutal fashion. If that sounds familiar, it's because it's essentially the same plot as Alien, from the mostly smart decision-making from the crew to the one crew member who has reasons for wanting the creature to survive down to the final need to keep the creature in space as circumstances cause the ISS to have its orbit fall back in to Earth.
That's all the film is, really: Alien but a lot closer to Earth. There's nothing particularly wrong with that idea, either, but what was innovative 38 years ago is essentially a formula at this point, and any deviation this film makes from Alien can be traced back to a different horror movie, right down to the misdirect ending.
So, the movie doesn't do anything particularly new, but it does do quite a few things well.
I would first mention the creature, which the crew of the ISS dub "Calvin". Calvin changes form as he grows throughout the movie, and he's pretty damn creepy in every form, from his 'flower with a death grip' baby stage to his 'Lovecraft meets Orga' adult stage. His design is basic, but never not interesting, and his movement is quick and elusive, so he's always an impending threat.
That said, if I hadn't been able to call what was going to happen in every scene, he might've been more than just 'creepy'. One particular moment involves Calvin in his baby stage, ducking and hiding from Ryan Reynolds' flame torch until Reynolds is out of fuel, only for the little guy to come from behind Reynolds and throw himself down Reynolds' throat, before ripping Reynolds up on the inside. Reynolds' death is very effective as we watch him recoil in pain as his insides are shredded, watching only his face as his eyes go red and he slowly coughs up blood. The actual death is a lot less explicit than, say, the chest-burster scene in Alien, (which makes it a little unique I suppose), but the build up to the death has little tension because it's done in a cliche way, with a couple of fake scare moments before the death and no real question as to whether he will die.
The characters are a little bland, but I liked the mixture of good and bad decisions from each of them. These people are scientists and engineers, they don't turn in to teenagers with the IQ of children the moment a monster shows up, but they also make mistakes and bad decisions that are understandable. However, most of what happens to them that causes further conflict can be attributed to bad luck (hey, kind of like real life). They attempt to seal and quarantine Calvin, but a floating open flame sets off the smoke detectors and creates a space for Calvin to get out. They attempt to seal themselves in a space and drain all the oxygen from the rest of the ship to suffocate Calvin, but the one who's most attached to Calvin lets Calvin literally attach itself to him so that it can survive. Sometimes it's good decision-making combined with bad luck, sometimes it's good decision-making combined with bad decision-making, but it always happens in a way that you predict it will happen.
Another strong aspect of Life is the pacing. The film spends a little time on the setting, offering a feel for the characters and the ISS, giving you an idea of where things are, but once the conflict is set in motion, the film takes off like a bat out of hell, trying to maintain tension by offering up little conflict after little conflict. Again, if I hadn't already seen this movie in every other horror/sci-fi I might find it exciting, but as good as it could be there isn't anything that's ever more than a little jumpy as it moves from one conflict to the next.
Finally there's the general mood and tone of the film, which is helped considerably by director Espinosa's commitment to making the experience feel very much like being in space. Characters bob a little or their hands waft in the zero gravity when they aren't doing anything, the camera is never static, floating about as if it's part of the ISS's atmosphere, it's all very similar to Gravity, even including one long, unbroken shot in its first scene. It gives a sense of freedom of movement, but also contrasts with the confines of the space in which they move, which is tight and filled with sealed doors. Unfortunately it never feels as claustrophobic as it seems to be trying to be.
The Verdict: Life is fast and formulaic, walking along the same path as horror/sci-fi classics such as Alien but never reaching quite that level of sheer terror. I appreciated how quickly it moves once it gets going, and how nasty it gets with Calvin's picking apart of the space crew, but it never deviates in to unexpected territory. If you enjoy this sort of sci-fi horror, I do recommend it, because it hits a lot of familiar notes within the drama. If you're new to the genre this may be a good modern film to help you work your way in to it, because it's so subservient to the path that it follows, it's effectively a good genre-starter. I liked the movie, but I've seen the same movie done better.
Rating: 6/10
Published March 24th, 2017
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