2017’s “Life”, directed by Daniel Espinosa.
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Ryan Reynolds, Rebecca Ferguson,
Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, and Olga Dihovichnaya.
We meet a crew of astronauts, with their respective
skillsets. Reynolds is a wisecracking tradesman, Bakare the curious biologist,
Sanada the technician, Ferguson their stalwart captain, Gyllenhall the medical
officer. They are coming back from Mars, but hit technical difficulties and
have to stop for repairs. They discover an alien life form, the size of a
single cell, and cultivate it. They call it Calvin, and are delighted at
discovering the first recorded non earth terrestrial. However, as the thing
grows into something resembling an octopus that moves like a spider, we see
it’s intentions are hostile, and the crew discovers too late that they’re in
over their zero gravity heads.
“Life” starts out a much different movie than what it actually
becomes, as it opens as more of a tribute to wonder filled epics such as 2001
and Solaris, complete with angelic choruses and majestic vistas. Unfortunately
for the crew, “Life” quickly shifts gears, and becomes a well made tense thrill
ride with B flick simplicity, as we watch the humans try to outhustle and
outsmart a foe that is faster, and as smart as them. Some critics have referred to it as an "Alien" knock off, but while similar (space, lethal creature), it's not that. Refreshingly unsentimental
and one of the more intriguingly named films of the year, Espinosa seems to
want thrills and gulps with a healthy dose of wondering if it’s humans’
humanity that could doom us in the end. When the credits roll, we hear a music
track that is tough not to imagine a skull grinning back at us. For better or
worse, “Life” doesn’t let us get too close to it’s thinly sketched characters-
but after seeing what follows behind them, I’m grateful.
3.5/5
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