While there are some movies out there that fail because they move at a snail's pace, Life suffers from being on the other side of the spectrum. The progression of the new species from Mars, the centerpiece of the film, feels far too rapid and extremely unbelievable. As it grows from a microscopic organism to something much bigger, its thinking power far exceeds feasibility. What results is a film compounded with too many headscratching moments for it to be enjoyable.
On the plus side, if you're going to see this film for thrills, Life definitely offers up some legitimate scares. The "creature" from Mars (no spoiling) is terrifying because of its abnormal look and its lightning quick speed. As you come to find out, the thing could literally be hiding anywhere and that's frightening in and of itself. In that respect, director Daniel Espinosa deserves proper credit.
For those of you that don't know Life is the story of a six-man space crew that has embarked on a mission to retrieve evidence of life on Mars. What they run into is far worse than what they ever could have hoped for. That last cliche of a sentence is an ode to the noticeable amount of horror cliches you will find in the film.
Life starts with a bang that captures your interest, then manages to fizzle out as time goes on. It feels like you're watching a bad magician that's really good at setting up his tricks. Once you see the trick, you're not amused. I've seen worse in the horror genre, but I have also seen much better. I give it a 67.
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