A team of scientists aboard the International Space Station, examining a lifeform obtained from Mars, must do whatever it takes to destroy the organism and prevent it from reaching Earth after observing its hostile nature.
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds
Rated R for language throughout, some sci-fi violence and terror
It’s unfortunate that “Life” so clearly borrows elements from Ridley Scott’s 1979 “Alien,” especially given that “Alien: Covenant,” the upcoming sixth installment in the Alien series, will be arriving in theaters only next month. There’s very little room for imagination or creativity within “Life,” and the entire film rests on the suspense, of which there’s only just enough to carry the movie along to its predictable ending. The dialogue is, at times, laughably bad, with one character poetically reciting “Goodnight Moon” aloud in what is supposed to be a dramatic moment. However, director Daniel Espinosa still manages to walk a line – albeit, a very thin one – between its lackluster story and thematic resonance. As a result, the film largely succeeds, even if it does so at the expense of imaginative storytelling.
Traveling aboard the International Space Station, a team of six scientists examine a lifeform gathered from samples obtained from Mars. The single-cell organism, named Calvin by the team’s leader, Hugh, proves to be incredibly intelligent, especially when it attacks Hugh and escapes the contained lab from which it was being kept. After witnessing its hostile nature, the team decides it best to eliminate the organism. However, things continue to spiral out of control as it quickly grows both physically and mentally.
Espinosa is no stranger to suspense. He directed the thriller “Safe House” as well as the crime drama “Child 44,” both films relatively suspenseful in their own right, though here, Espinosa really plays with horror tropes. However, Espinosa also plays right into the generic predictability of what a horror film entails. “Life” is also heavily flawed. There are characters who do frustratingly dumb things, there’s hardly any context in the beginning of the film, and, as “Life” unfolds, there’s the sense that we’ve simply seen it all before. Yet, Espinosa manages to make the film as beautiful as he can, with visual effects that are quite impressive. Espinosa also occasionally presents stellar cinematography and plays with the concept of being in space as we follow astronauts floating upside down in space, darting through hallways and–in the most exciting of cases–fleeing from an alien.
The screenplay isn’t great by any means. There are moments of emotionally resonant dialogue that play well into the unfolding story and progress the characters, but there are some snippets of dialogue that are absurd. These lines fall flat, but it’s a testament to the talent of the actors that nothing feels downright forced. In the hands of any less-talented actors, “Life” would have probably been brought down by a lack of solid screenwriting.
“Alien” may truly be the end-all of science-fiction horror, since, if there is an alien involved, films have drawn clear inspiration from Ridley Scott’s masterpiece. It set the standard for movies of its type, and, ever since, big-budget pictures simply are unable, for whatever reason, to escape its influence. The biggest flaws of “Life” are noticeable enough that they bring the film down a few notches in terms of its capability to produce an involving story. It’s hard to connect with the characters on any emotional level, besides maybe David (Jake Gyllenhaal), who is genuinely terrified of dying and can’t stand to watch it happen to other people. Aside from his character, the scientists in the movie feel wooden and are written just like the archetypes that “Alien” established. However, “Life” simply is a film that tells a straightforward story, and, at times, this works to its benefit, never pulling any too-unbelievable punches. Yet, there is so much more area the story could have explored. It’s frustrating that “Life” did not take the initiative and dive into more complex territory. But, at the end of the day, there’s just the right amount of impressive filmmaking to divert disaster.