Life: What Could Happen If Life Was Found On Mars
LIFE
DIRECTED BY: Daniel Espinosa
STARRING: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, Olga Dihovichnaya
GENRE: Science Fiction, Horror
YEAR: 2017
COUNTRY: United States
Six astronauts aboard the space station study a sample collected from Mars that could provide evidence for extraterrestrial life on the Red Planet. The crew determines that the sample contains a large, single-celled organism – the first example of life beyond Earth. But..things aren’t always what they seem. As the crew begins to conduct research, and their methods end up having unintended consequences, the life form proves more intelligent than anyone ever expected.
It is about time we kicked off with this year’s star-studded space film. Unlike most of the films we review here, we actually have been anticipating Life for quite a while. The film graces audiences with a cast filled with A-list talent and it really does show, as the film gives almost each actor equal time to shine (except Reynolds, those bastards). The evolution of the alien is absolutely intriguing, as each time it devours and feeds it takes another step down the line and grows even more menacing. While it is hard to say what exactly Life accomplished, if anything it actually does showcase a quite realistic outcome of life on Mars.
As with most horror movies (generalizing, we know), the biggest is flaw is that there is very little character development for the characters as they flee for their lives. While Life could have easily worked well as a psychological horror, it almost feels like a futuristic slasher film. If you re-watch it, you can actually see most of the tropes. This is disappointing since with all of the talent behind Life, shouldn’t it be better? We aren’t saying it is necessarily bad, but science fiction films like Gravity and Intersteller have raised the bar a bit too high for Life.
PROS:
- Plenty of star power.
- Realistic outcome of life on other planets.
- Alien evolution.
CONS:
- Feels like a slasher film.
- Sloppy writing.
- Missed the mark.
SCORE: 6.5 / 10
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