The film 'Life' - depicts realistic life in outer space.

The film features many plot points reminiscent of "Alien"—the classic 1979 film—combined with impressive shots depicting life in outer space.

Life is a new project by director Daniel Espinosa, with a budget of $58 million, set on the International Space Station (ISS). There, six astronauts receive a probe returning from Mars. A British biologist (Ariyon Bakare) extracts a life form from a sample on the probe – the first evidence of extraterrestrial life. The whole world rejoices and names the organism Calvin.

The astronauts keep Calvin on the space station for research. During an experiment, it suddenly becomes aggressive, attacks a biologist, and escapes. Now, they must both combat the dangerous creature and fix the malfunctions on the space station.

* A scary scene in the movie

Life begins with a long, uninterrupted take lasting nearly seven minutes. In this segment, the crew is welcoming the probe back to the station. Each member appears and works seamlessly, coordinating with one another in the common mission. The camera pans over the characters' shoulders, giving the viewer a glimpse of the station's areas, then shifts outwards – to where specialist Rory Adams (Ryan Reynolds) is walking in space. The cramped setting inside the station contrasts sharply with the vastness of outer space.

Director and cinematographer Seamus McGarvey's staging creates the illusion that the camera is floating in a zero-gravity environment, gliding alongside the astronauts. This scene, executed with high technical skill, becomes a highlight of the film and is reminiscent of Gravity—the excellent science fiction film from four years earlier.

The zero-gravity environment provides an intriguing backdrop for the action sequences, acting as a secondary horror element alongside the dangerous creature. The astronauts float aimlessly, relying on handholds to move. The scenes occasionally show the characters upside down. All of this creates a sense of disorientation, intensifying the fear each time Calvin attacks them.

The film then follows a familiar space horror trope, with many ideas inspired by the classic Alien (1979). Initial exhilaration turns into extreme terror in an unexpected situation. Calvin grows in size and becomes increasingly intelligent. This creature has no specific form, with all its cells being muscle cells, brain cells, and light-sensitive cells (eyes). At times it wraps around its prey like an octopus, but at other times it pursues at high speed like a predator.

* Trailer "Life"

The scares are scattered throughout, combined with Jon Ekstrand's soundtrack to create a chilling atmosphere. Between the horror scenes are moments of quiet reflection, allowing the characters to express their innermost feelings. Overall, the story resembles a cat-and-mouse game between the astronauts and the dangerous creature.

The film features a haunting scene where an astronaut is trapped in an isolation chamber, while others helplessly watch their comrade from the outside. The deceased stands with their back to the audience, blood gushing out and spreading in all directions in the weightless environment.

The zero-gravity environment is depicted subtly in the film.

In an interview with Hollywood Reporter, director Daniel Espinosa said he wanted to make a “reverse version” of Gravity. The 2013 film showcased the vastness of the universe through the eyes of an astronaut (played by Sandra Bullock), while Life emphasizes the confinement of the space station.

The central theme of Life is the danger posed by human ambition and excessive curiosity about the unknown. At the same time, the work brutally illustrates the truth: "Existence of life requires destruction."

The two main roles are well-executed by Jake Gyllenhaal and Rebecca Ferguson. The 1980-born actor portrays a war veteran astronaut who is disillusioned with society, considers space his home, and doesn't want to return to Earth. Meanwhile, "action heroine" Rebecca Ferguson doesn't showcase action scenes like in Mission: Impossible 5 – her most notable film. The 34-year-old star plays a disease control specialist who seeks every means to isolate the dangerous life form.

Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhaal and Rebecca Ferguson

A drawback of the film is that later on, director Daniel Espinosa fails to maintain consistency in his storytelling and plot development. The characters make many mistakes due to impulsive actions, which are inconsistent with the image of professionally trained astronauts.

In some situations, they behave inexplicably despite knowing the creature's danger. Although the beginning is promising, the second half of the film falls into the clichés of horror films, lacking originality. Therefore, even though the screenwriter tried to set up a surprising ending, the suspense was not heightened.

For domestic audiences, the film cleverly incorporates interesting details, such as the appearance of two Vietnamese characters at the end. However, their screen time is limited to just a few dozen seconds.

Life (A Dangerous Seed of Life) was released on March 24th.

According to VNE