Drifting in space longer than they intended, a small crew of researchers studies the soil of another planet only to find, astoundingly, the presence of alien life. Though initially excited by the discovery, the young life quickly advances and asserts itself with violence. One by one the crew members' lives are taken by the smarter and stronger monster who kills with inventive, gory spectacle, until a final showdown is staged in an attempt to stop it from reaching Earth.
Sound familiar? Life is essentially a revamped telling of Alien, Ridley Scott's seminal 1979 masterpiece of science fiction horror. It would be wrong, however, to write it off as a cheap remake or reimagining. Apart from its basic plot, Life differs in significant ways from its inspiration, especially in theme, characterization, atmosphere, and of course budget. Life is foremost an ensemble piece that uses its diverse cast well, centering on their working relationship in space, a sort of artificial life apart from Earth, and how they cope with their environment. Jake Gyllenhaal's character (the Ripley rip-off, sort of) has been in space for a long time and his body's atrophy indicates a physical need to return to the planet. Hiroyuki Sanada's has to watch via webcam as his daughter is born. Ryan Reynolds's uses a sharp tongue and wit to keep everything light and silly, while Olga Dihovichnaya and Rebecca Ferguson hold their own with a curious mixture of strength, fear, and discipline. Ariyon Bakare plays their fearless scientist who is almost immediately punished for his extraterrestrial curiosity, and his performance stands out in the otherwise effect-and-story-focused film.
In many ways, Life is to Alien what The Shallows is to Jaws. Not quite a remake or reimagining, it deals with similar elements -- setting, plot structure, even villain -- to consider an alternative form of the story with varied themes and state-of-the-art special effects. Though far less cerebral and iconic than their muses, these new films are prime examples of expensive, solidly made B-movies with bankable casts and entrancing visuals that draw us in and spit us back out, providing a solid slice of entertainment in the meantime. Life is aesthetically no Alien: no clear sexual undertones, no gritty and grimy Gothic sets, no heartstopping scares. It honors its predecessor a few times, and one homage in particular made me squirm as the young alien orally rapes Ryan Reynolds and wreaks bloody havoc on his innards. On the other hand, it also declares itself independent of its predecessor; the beast's first act of aggression here is not to use its hand to latch onto John Hurt's face, but rather to viscerally break the hand of Ariyon Bakare. The alien's destruction of the symbol -- the hand equals mankind groping where it doesn't belong -- at once reinforces the motif and stakes out its new path in similar thematic territory.
The film also feels like a response or a companion to Gravity, with its awesome weightless cinematography and comparable meditations on the sanctity of life and the nature of rebirth. While writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick are too comfortable in their comedic skins to be totally effective, they do manage to surprise us with especially dark moments of arresting horror, notably Jake Gyllenhaal's recitation of the children's book "Goodnight Moon", a moment that should have been extended. Far more successful is cinematographer Seamus McGarvey (a personal favorite) who focuses images to their most grotesque, intimate and immediate, and creates a space for the emotions of the moment to reach through the screen.
Life won't be the most horrific thing you've ever seen, but it's a hell of a good time.
IMDb: Life
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