Life Movie Review
By Myla Tosatto
What happens when six people are stuck on the International Space Station with an alien that’s more like Ripley’s nemesis from Alien and less like the gentle heptapods from Arrival? Should we be messing around with life from other planets? Are we better off alone, as the movie’s tagline suggests? Must Ryan Reynolds be a smart aleck in every movie?* Can Jake Gyllenhaall play anything besides a gentle soul? Are all women in space beautiful? Those are the questions that the movie Life sets out to answer. The alien, Calvin, isn’t a terribly scary beast. At best he resembles the lovechild of Sponge Bob Squarepant’s Patrick Star and Little Shop of Horror’s Audrey II and at worst looks like a deranged Pokemon. The organism itself isn’t terribly shocking to look at, but is capable of doing appalling things. And he does. And you will sit on the edge of your seat and watch him for one hour and forty three minutes.
This is a horror sci-fi flick and not appropriate for children. It is appropriate for sci-fi fans, horror lovers, and for folks who wish that Doctor Who had better effects and went a little further into the scary department (and no, the TARDIS never shows up to help our ISS crew members). I would totally recommend this to people who like classic monster movies and slasher flims. It’s a combination of both.
My husband gave me some good advice about this film that I would like to pass along to you: Don’t get too attached to the rat. My husband is a very wise man.
*The answer to this question isn’t actually in the movie. The answer is- The writers of Life , Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, wrote Deadpool. So, Ryan Reynolds plays an astronaut version of our favorite, naughty hero. Without the mask or chimichangas, of course.
Purchase discounted tickets by using Dealflicks.com! Feel free to save an additional 20% by using the code RFGGTRFLUF at checkout!