"Life" Review

Title: Life

Directed by: Daniel Espinosa

Written by: Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese

Year: 2017


Life was a film that I sought out because of the marketing. On its own, the premise is intriguing but nothing new. The trailers hinted at a film that could make the most of its genre trappings and seemed to lie on the high-brow side of the spectrum. I found the simplicity of the title refreshing, and reminiscent of how contemporary viewers must have viewed Ridley Scott's Alien upon its release. Also, I think the official poster is brilliant, representing the film accurately. Does this film breathe new life into its sub-genre, or is it dead on arrival?

A group of astronauts are conducting research in their station when they receive a probe from Mars that contains an unknown life-form. As they begin to observe the creature, it quickly evolves and proves its intelligence, posing a threat to the small crew.

Simply put, the plot of this film is remarkably similar to Alien. There is no other way around it. An alien life-form is brought aboard a spaceship and it continually changes its form and begins killing the crew members? The resemblance is too obvious. Therefore, we must ask the following question: is this film at all unique? Well, yes.

The characters are rather well-realized and certainly mesh well together. Jake Gyllenhaal and Rebecca Ferguson lead the cast with appropriately dramatic and human performances. Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, and Olga Dihovichnaya are good in the supporting roles and feed the team chemistry nicely. Ryan Reynolds surprised me with his performance. Known for his comedy, Reynolds would not seem to fit the vibe of the film, but he injects a necessary dose of the sympathetic into the picture. Though he does not have a substantial part, I feel he was utilized effectively.

The film displays a great use of a claustrophobic atmosphere mixed with abundant suspense. The camera skulks about the narrow passageways creepily and the mood lighting is used to its full potential. By beginning slowly, the movie allows us to become somewhat attached to the space crew and see how they observe this new organism as if we are along for the ride. The first act is handled delicately, much like a balancing act, before everything goes horribly wrong. Once the creature is on the loose, the pacing kicks up and the tension takes center stage. The picture succeeds at keeping you in an uneasy state while also giving you time to breathe with slower moments.

The creature is a well designed creation. It does not appear very intimidating, but the fear factor comes more from its intelligence and how it can keep these scientists on their toes. The way it is able to adapt to any situation transforms this film from a generic slasher flick to a game of chess between the characters and the alien, one opponent always outsmarting the other. It takes the familiar story seriously, but without claiming to be the next sci-fi masterpiece.

With all of that said, the film does play out as your standard base-under-siege story would. You can map out the plot rather easily, but the story is not the focus of the feature. It is the suspense. However, I must commend the final act of Life. The thrills reach their peak and the film is resolved in an admirable and unconventional manner that I feel is enough to set it apart from similar movies in the genre.

At its core, Life is an extremely well-made B-movie. The characters are organic enough to rise above clichés; the mood and setting are fitting and play key roles; the performances are better than the sub-genre would lead you to believe; and the conclusion is expertly crafted. Though the story does not break any new ground, I can recommend this flick to any sci-fi lover. Life is an engaging thrill ride that is smarter than you would expect.

Grade: B