#lifefilm

Life (2017) Movie Review by: Tristan Bunn

Life is the new sci-fi/horror/thriller style film from Daniel Espinosa (Safe House) that stars some incredible talent including Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds. I was a little skeptical going into this picture because I didn’t see any reviews and the trailer didn’t impress me, but I was excited nonetheless. I am proud to say this movie really surprised me. This is a really exciting, taut, and well directed sci-fi film that I truly loved.

This movie is a beautiful and glaring example of films that know what they are and embrace a genre. However, this film actually has some themes under the surface regarding humanity and how we perceive things and life we aren’t used to. Espinosa directs this film masterfully, which truly impressed me because I wasn’t too crazy about Safe House. He opens the film with a near 10 minute long unbroken take that was crafted incredibly well. This sets the stage for a marvelous adventure.

Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have proven they can write a film with their work on Deadpool and Zombieland, and I think they’ve crafted a nice script again. The film takes its time to build the characters so you actually care when the danger arrives. You don’t know a whole lot about each of them, but you know enough to have a rewarding experience, and I really enjoyed the pacing overall. The film makes a bold decision relatively early (accompanied by a gorgeous shot) where I genuinely thought “This is going to be great.” There are some slight cliches and tropes I suppose, but they never jumped out at me. I was always into the experience that was occurring.

The acting is phenomenal across the board. It wasn’t just suitable and fine as you might expect in a movie like this, it was genuinely fantastic acting. Gyllenhaal is amazing as always, as is Reynolds, but the big surprise to me was Rebecca Ferguson. I think she took the reigns of the film and gave the best performance. I loved what she did here. However, there isn’t a weak spot in the cast at all.

The film also feels very real. The characters feel like legitimate people and they never get heavy with the exposition or take you out of the experience. It’s rated R even though it’s not overly gory or violent and I think the rating serves this film tremendously. I know this isn’t really something that matters...a fucking rating, but the R rating allowed the characters to feel incredibly real and the film to have a super realistic atmosphere that I adored. The score suits the film great by blending into the background and slowly pulling the audience into the picture even more. This is also a testament to the wonderful sound mixing. Mix all of these aspects with beautiful visual effects and you have a good film on your hands.

Life is an incredibly well directed, well acted, and well written sci-fi/horror film that had me leaving the theater surprised and excited because of the experience I just had. Don’t go in expecting the genre to be redefined or anything, but have a good time with the original places this movie goes and the wonderful craftsmanship on display in the filmmaking.