Life Summary & Review
Since the beginning of science fiction movies, one of the most popular subjects within the genre has been the discovery of life beyond Earth. We, as a society, have always been trying to find proof that we are not the only living organisms in the universe. Ever since Ridley Scott’s film Alien, however, beings beyond our world have been pretty hostile. It’s almost as if people in Hollywood are trying to say we shouldn’t search for life beyond Earth. Now we have another film in this sub-genre with the new sci-fi horror film, Life.
Set aboard the International Space Station, Life follows six astronauts, David Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal), Miranda North (Rebecca Ferguson), Rory Adams (Ryan Reynolds), Sho Kendo (Hiroyuki Sanada), Hugh Derry (Ariyon Bakare) and Katerina Golovkina (Olga Dihovichnaya), who intercept a pod on its way back from Mars with a soil sample. Upon examination of the sample, they discover a single cell organism that is the first proof of extraterrestrial life. As the alien grows in size and intelligence, it begins to perceive the scientist’s tests as threats. When it gets its chance, the alien escapes containment and begins feeding off of anything and anyone it can get to. It’s up to the astronauts to put an end to the creature they raised before it can find its way to Earth.
For some reason, I had very similar feelings to this film as the sci-fi horror film Morgan. I thought both films had great concepts, but decided to settle on a familiar story and misleading marketing to make the film. The same with Morgan, I would like to see this film remade as a found footage movie. It’s not because I love found footage, but because the movie really was set up to be one. It had the isolated location, mysterious event, and even had a few scenes that were film by a basic camera. Overall, I think the film’s concept would have been better executed if this were a found footage movie.
Aside from the lack of originality, I thought Life was a pretty entertaining film. First off, I thought the location was a smart choice. There was more of a risk in killing the alien when they weren’t actually on Earth. This meant that the characters had the chance to end its life before it could make a meal out of our planet. Plus, the small confines of the ISS made the film seem very claustrophobic. With limited room, and the deadly nothingness of space right next to them at all times, it made you worried that they might breach the walls while trying to kill the creature. Kudos to the writers for picking such a small place to set their film.
I also really enjoyed the design of the alien. I’ll try not to spoil anything about the movie, but the creature’s design was very menacing in appearance. If I was faced with something that looked like the alien from the movie, I would turn and run the other way as fast as I could. I probably couldn’t out run it, but they never really showed how the creature would move on solid ground, so I might be OK. Though, it would still be terrifying. If anything, the creature moved and hunted much like a shark stalking its prey (another aspect that I really enjoyed). I also really enjoyed that they named the alien Calvin. It was a lot easier than just calling it “the alien,” and for some strange reason, it looked like a Calvin.
As small as the movie was, I thought the visuals were awesome. Everything in the film looked so realistic. From the astronauts floating around the inside of the ISS, to them traveling around the outside of the station, everything looked like they really filmed the movie in space. I don’t know if I’m the only one who thinks this, but I thought it kind of looked like the visuals from Gravity. The way they rendered the ISS just looked very similar to how they rendered the station in that movie. Other than that, the visuals were awesome.
Along with the creature design and visuals, I also really enjoyed the performances. I am a huge Jake Gyllenhaal fan, and once again, he graced the screen with another committed performance. His look of fear when hunting for Calvin was very believable, and it makes us root for him not to get killed. Alongside him for another improvement in his acting career is Ryan Reynolds. While he’s not the greatest actor in Hollywood, I think he is improving, and this was a very different movie for him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do a movie like this. He has worked with the writers before (the writers wrote Deadpool last year), so at least he had some experience with the makers. He does turn out a good performance. Even if his only goal is to kill Calvin, he still brings out the believability in his character, and it makes us want him to survive in his battles with the creature.
Now, unfortunately, while the visuals, performances, and concept were really good, I have to take some points off for a lack of originality. Take out all the things that were good, and you’re left with your standard horror film. The story was predictable, derivative, and doesn’t really do its original concept any justice. Also, I have to take points away for the title. Of all the names you could of given this film, they had to go with one of the most generic titles in the history of movies. There are so many things they could have done with this movie, but they only settled on your standard, run-of-the-mill horror film, where the only thing that sets it apart from others is the fact that it’s set in space.
In the end, while it fails to be as original as it could have been, Life was still an entertaining film. It had great visuals and atmosphere, good performances, nice creature design, and a realistic setting. I feel like this movie deserves a sequel. Like I said, the film had a nice concept within all the formulaic horror tropes, and if they had more movies, they could really have the room to expand on the mythology of this martian, and really find some unique places to go with it. The writers have mentioned a desire to create a franchise, so let’s hope that this movie does well enough to get it. Overall, if you’re looking for a fun, scary time at the movies, this film is for you.
