You know the drill: a group of astronauts discovers alien life, gets excited, pokes at it too much, and everything spirals into complete chaos. "Life (2017)" doesn’t reinvent the wheel here, but it does slap some nice rims on it. The movie sets up a fun “we’re so screwed” vibe right from the start, with Calvin—the alien menace—being way too smart for comfort. It’s tense, it’s fast-paced, and it’s a little ridiculous in a way that works just enough.
Characters Who Tried (Sort of)
The crew of this movie has star power, I’ll give them that. Jake Gyllenhaal spends the film looking emotionally wrecked, probably because he already knows how this ends. Rebecca Ferguson is the only one who acts like she’s ever read a safety manual, and Ryan Reynolds—well, he’s basically Ryan Reynolds in space. His jokes land, but you kind of wish someone would remind him it’s not that kind of movie. Still, the actors play well off each other, even if their characters’ choices range from questionable to downright absurd.
The Worst Science Fair Project Ever
Calvin starts as a harmless little science blob, like something you’d keep in a jar for show-and-tell. But no, Calvin just has to evolve into the galaxy’s most resourceful murder monster. He can crawl through vents, survive outside the station, and outthink people with doctorate degrees, all while looking like a horrifying space octopus. It’s impressive, but you’ll spend half the movie wondering, “How is he this good at everything?” Honestly, Calvin deserved better prey.
Space Looks Cool, but Don’t Go There
If nothing else, Life looks fantastic. The zero-gravity scenes are smooth and immersive, and the tight, claustrophobic sets make the International Space Station feel like a death trap (because, well, it is). The visuals do a lot of the heavy lifting here—space has never looked this gorgeous and terrifying at the same time. It’s a big “look but don’t touch” situation.
Not Great But Fun
Life isn’t a game-changer, but it does what it sets out to do: entertain you for 100 minutes. Sure, the science is nonsense and the crew makes enough dumb choices to fuel a hundred horror movies, but the tension is solid and the alien is nightmare fuel. It’s the kind of movie you’ll enjoy while yelling, “Why are you like this?!” at your TV.