Not as we know it

By Kristian Harrison

kristian@gulfweekly.com

LIFE

STARRING: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds

DIRECTOR: Daniel Espinosa 

Genre: Superhero 

Rating: Sci-Fi/Horror

103 mins

Regular readers of this column will know that I love a good science fiction film, and if there’s a new entry in the genre it’ll be my first choice when I turn up and be greeted with a warm smile by my friends at Saar cinema.

Since it’s been a little while, I was excited to see Life with its stellar cast and intriguing premise. Two hours later, I left satisfied after watching a thrilling, suspenseful horror that is highly derivative of Alien, but when one of the best films of all time is your inspiration, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

As that famous Star Trek song goes: It’s life Jim, but not as we know it.

The film follows a six-member crew of the International Space Station that uncovers what initially seems to be the first evidence of life on Mars; however, the team finds their discovery might not be what it seems. Actually, forget the ‘might’, as this cute little Martian isn’t fooling anyone. Soon enough, the group are forced to fight for their lives against the evolving lifeform wreaking havoc on their spaceship.

I really wasn’t kidding about the derivative part, but those suffering from a severe bout of déjà vu, fear not. The similarities are so strong that they’re impossible to ignore. However, while Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic has provided a template for countless films since, few have been as effective as this version.

Director Daniel Espinsoa wisely does nothing to hide his inspiration (in fact there’s some overt nods to it) but, armed with a solid script and some originality, Life diverts enough from its heritage that it should be judged on its own merits.

Those who have seen Alien will have a pretty good idea of what’s coming, at least to a certain point. Once things reach that point, however, all bets are off. Just don’t expect this to be a light, escapist excursion into outer space. Even by sci-fi/horror standards, this is dark, gruesome, intense stuff, not for the faint of heart or those who crave happy endings.

One of Life’s strongest points is that it doesn’t really have a lead character. While that might make it sound like it lacks focus or may try too hard to bite off more than it can chew in terms of character development, it actually lends an extra level of unpredictability to the whole film. As the alien, called ‘Calvin’, begins to grow more and more dangerous, there is no obvious Ripley-like character to emerge so that the audience can figure out right away who is going to make it to the end of the film.

It’s quite refreshing watching a film of this type and not playing the Russian roulette guessing game of who is going to die next based on their screen time or overall importance so far.

Therefore, credit is due to the writers for crafting a believable, mostly well-developed cast of characters here. All of them are given different roles on the ship itself, their own unique backstories, and even are given an equal amount of screen time. That’s not something most other ensemble films like this are able to pull off, and it helps to give Life its own identity and dynamic.

Established stars like Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds each turn in respectable, charismatic performances, but the spotlight also shines on the film’s underappreciated, international stars.

While I have praised the film for its fresh take on a very familiar plot and refusing to play it safe, ultimately the comparisons with Alien are unavoidable. Life, although capable of causing heart palpitations, is nowhere near as intense as Alien. The atmosphere isn’t as strong and the suffocating growth of tension isn’t as overpowering, and this is nearly 40 years later with the latest digital effects and not a guy in a rubber suit.

But still, for what it sets out to do, Life is a unique and fun new entry to the sci-fi horror subgenre that succeeds on both sides of that spectrum, and it will more than just satiate the thirst of fans counting down the days until Alien: Covenant releases next month.

Showing in: Cineco, Seef II, Wadi Al Sail

Rating: 4/5