High Life

Name: High Life
Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Drama, Mystery, Horror
Released: April 5, 2019
Duration: 113 min
Rating: 77
Cast: Agata Buzek, André Benjamin, Claire Tran, Ewan Mitchell, Gloria Obianyo

2019

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 41 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 117 Ratings

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6.4

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6.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 117 Ratings

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High Life

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Movie Details & Credits

A24 | Release Date: April 5, 2019 | Not Rated

Starring: Agata Buzek, André Benjamin, Claire Tran, Ewan Mitchell, Gloria Obianyo, Juliette Binoche, Lars Eidinger, Mia Goth, Robert Pattinson, Scarlett Lindsey

Summary: Monte (Robert Pattinson) and his baby daughter are the last survivors of a damned and dangerous mission to deep space. The crew—death-row inmates led by a doctor (Juliette Binoche) with sinister motives—has vanished. As the mystery of what happened onboard the ship is unraveled, father and daughter must rely on each other to survive as theyMonte (Robert Pattinson) and his baby daughter are the last survivors of a damned and dangerous mission to deep space. The crew—death-row inmates led by a doctor (Juliette Binoche) with sinister motives—has vanished. As the mystery of what happened onboard the ship is unraveled, father and daughter must rely on each other to survive as they hurtle toward the oblivion of a black hole.… Expand

Director: Claire Denis

Genre(s): Adventure, Sci-Fi, Drama, Mystery, Horror

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 113 min

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Awards & Rankings

91	#91 Most Discussed Movie of 2019
33	#33 Most Shared Movie of 2019

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Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

May 15, 2019

As with so many of Denis’ films, the point is to contrive an overwhelmingly powerful mood and moment, an almost physiological sensation, this one incubated in the vast, cold reaches of space. It throbbed and itched with me long after the film was over. Read full review

100

Barry Hertz

Sep 12, 2018

By twisting around preconceptions of what an outer-space epic should be, French auteur Claire Denis returns to the fertile ground of her Trouble Every Day era, using genre to dig beneath themes that others would only treat as skin-deep. Read full review

Stephanie Zacharek

Apr 4, 2019

Denis’s movies can be imaginative and poetic; sometimes they’re unflinchingly brutal. High Life, her first English-language picture, is all of those things, a work of great beauty that’s also at times difficult to watch. Read full review

Scott Tobias

Apr 4, 2019

Claire Denis’ grotesque, mesmerizing, one-of-a-kind new science fiction movie. Read full review

Peter Keough

Apr 10, 2019

Never has space travel looked so sordid, debased, mean-spirited, or crummy, qualities intensified by the (intentionally) ugliest cinematography ever — except for the close-ups of faces — from the great Agnès Godard, Denis’s longtime collaborator. But seldom has space travel served as such an eloquent and tragic representation of the human condition. Read full review

Allan Hunter

Sep 10, 2018

High Life offers an uncompromising mind-bender of a deep space journey through destructive desire, faith, trust and the instincts for good and bad that make us merely human. Read full review

Rex Reed

Sep 28, 2018

An unwatchable sci-fi creep-out by eccentric French director Claire Denis, it stars Robert Pattinson, who devotes himself these days to art films in an effort to live down his reputation as a sexy television vampire. Read full review

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User Reviews

TomL11

Apr 11, 2019

Brilliant film from start to finish, highly recommend. Many negative reviews on this site actually disregard plot structure and information that was provided in the film, and to those people who cant interpret based on basic information, I feel sorry for you. Highly recommend this film.

5 of 11 users found this helpful56

StevieGJD

Apr 13, 2019

This is an anomaly: an arthouse, dystopian future, sci-fi, mind bender. I have appreciated many of Claire Denis' films. This one, in English, is definitely different. There are shots of great beauty, imbued with stunning composition. Metaphors abound in many of the beautifully composedThis is an anomaly: an arthouse, dystopian future, sci-fi, mind bender. I have appreciated many of Claire Denis' films. This one, in English, is definitely different. There are shots of great beauty, imbued with stunning composition. Metaphors abound in many of the beautifully composed shots. There are also many vulgar and disturbing images. Though there are numerous sexually charged events, none of them are remotely erotic. That tension, between vulgar sexuality and absent eroticism is certainly both one of the main subtexts and also something that will put many people off. The film is not presented in a linear narrative, though there ends up being one when one pieces together the parts, which are constantly switching between times. The acting is very good. It is not for everyone. For example, I would never bring my mother or my wife. But I found it interesting, sometimes funny, and always engaging. It will not be most people's cup of tea; but I found it interesting and moving.… Expand

4 of 8 users found this helpful44

Dubeau

Oct 7, 2019

High Life is a slow captivating movie. The story is one about sexuality and space, the voids it can creates. The notion of danger is omnipresent in a very silent and obscure way, like a black hole. Opposed to this is the relation of Monte and Willow. One of fatherhood, tenderness. But also aHigh Life is a slow captivating movie. The story is one about sexuality and space, the voids it can creates. The notion of danger is omnipresent in a very silent and obscure way, like a black hole. Opposed to this is the relation of Monte and Willow. One of fatherhood, tenderness. But also a man who refused to be manipulated and goes against his emotions and surrounding. FX are limited here. And the action is mostly human in nature. I give it a 75%. You might not like the ending or the slow pace but this is a pretty decent scifi drama. Be warned that this movie is for adults.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Lifeisbellablog

Apr 19, 2020

There was something missing from this movie for me. It was a little disappointing, and I didn't get exactly what I needed from this. I did enjoy the movie, and didn't really feel bored even though there wasn't much going on. But I feel like there was a lot of missed opportunities here. TheThere was something missing from this movie for me. It was a little disappointing, and I didn't get exactly what I needed from this. I did enjoy the movie, and didn't really feel bored even though there wasn't much going on. But I feel like there was a lot of missed opportunities here. The cast was great, the visuals were great, but I feel like this movie had a great opportunity to be suspenseful, and completely threw that opportunity away. If this movie had had a little bit more of those mystery/suspense/horror elements I think it would have been a lot more impactful and would have stuck with me for awhile after.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Brent_Marchant

Apr 14, 2019

This meandering, convoluted attempt at merging space sci-fi, edgy eroticism and the fallout of dystopian society never finds its legs, leaving viewers scratching their heads more often than not. Poor sound quality, cheap-looking sets and an inexplicably nonlinear script don't help matters asThis meandering, convoluted attempt at merging space sci-fi, edgy eroticism and the fallout of dystopian society never finds its legs, leaving viewers scratching their heads more often than not. Poor sound quality, cheap-looking sets and an inexplicably nonlinear script don't help matters as the characters and the story hopelessly seek to sort themselves out. The hype here is definitely ill-deserved, and Robert Pattinson definitely needs to pick better scripts.… Expand

5 of 7 users found this helpful52

qbase

May 5, 2019

Η ατμόσφαιρα προηγείται του –μάλλον προσχηματικού– δράματος, τα γκροτέσκα ξεσπάσματα είναι εντελώς αταίριαστα με το σιωπηλό, ονειρικό αφηγηματικό τέμπο και οι αναφορές στην εγγενή βία των ανθρώπινων σχέσεων προβλέψιμη ως τελικό συμπέρασμα.Η ατμόσφαιρα προηγείται του –μάλλον προσχηματικού– δράματος, τα γκροτέσκα ξεσπάσματα είναι εντελώς αταίριαστα με το σιωπηλό, ονειρικό αφηγηματικό τέμπο και οι αναφορές στην εγγενή βία των ανθρώπινων σχέσεων προβλέψιμη ως τελικό συμπέρασμα.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

jondevr

May 7, 2019

Absolutely idiotic. A bunch of criminals given a chance to NOT do time in jail so they volunteer to be shut inside what looks like a huge cargo container and sent into a black hole? With no apparent way for information to be sent back to anyone? None of this movie makes a shred of sense andAbsolutely idiotic. A bunch of criminals given a chance to NOT do time in jail so they volunteer to be shut inside what looks like a huge cargo container and sent into a black hole? With no apparent way for information to be sent back to anyone? None of this movie makes a shred of sense and gives sci-fi a bad name the pursuit of some philosophical ( I think) point.… Expand

1 of 6 users found this helpful15

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