Life

Name: Life
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller, Horror
Released: March 24, 2017
Duration: 104 min
Rating: 54
Cast: Hiroyuki Sanada, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds

2017

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 44 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 549 Ratings

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6.4

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6.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 549 Ratings

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Life: David Ellison On The Cast

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Movie Details & Credits

Columbia Pictures | Release Date: March 24, 2017 | R

Starring: Hiroyuki Sanada, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds

Summary: The six-member crew of the International Space Station is on the cutting edge of one of the most important discoveries in human history: the first evidence of extraterrestrial life on Mars. As the crew begins to conduct research, their methods end up having unintended consequences and the life form proves more intelligent than anyone ever expected.

Director: Daniel Espinosa

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Thriller, Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 104 min

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Critic Reviews

Chris Nashawaty

Mar 23, 2017

If you lower your sights a few pegs and go in looking for a solid, tight B-movie that builds right until the final shot, there’s a lot to like. Read full review

A.A. Dowd

Mar 23, 2017

Life is a B movie on an A budget, an old-fashioned creature feature that delivers its cheap thrills expensively. Read full review

Stephanie Zacharek

Mar 23, 2017

This is an effective and unsettling piece of filmmaking, partly because Gyllenhaal has one of the most sympathetic faces in movies today--it's haunted and haunting. Read full review

The Telegraph Tim Robey

Mar 23, 2017

Taken on its entertainingly trashy terms, Espinosa’s film does most of the things you want from it quite well, at least until a gotcha ending which doesn’t getcha. Read full review

Brad Wheeler

Mar 23, 2017

Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds and others float around one another for an intense but spark-free 103 minutes, their characters barely sketched. Read full review

Bill Goodykoontz

Mar 23, 2017

Part of the problem is that, in trying to convey the chaos of abject fear, Espinosa makes it hard to figure out the architecture of the ship, so we don’t know where anyone’s running. Read full review

Peter Hartlaub

Mar 23, 2017

We get a lot of hapless victims in an expensive endeavor that is surprisingly lifeless. Read full review

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User Reviews

SMQRSKEET

Mar 25, 2017

What an unexpectedly awesome film. I would give it an 8 in normal circumstances but to get rid of dem h8rz I shall increase it to 10. I had no idea what this movie was going to be about, other than knowing astronauts find some bacteria and after it I just wanted to talk to someone about it.What an unexpectedly awesome film. I would give it an 8 in normal circumstances but to get rid of dem h8rz I shall increase it to 10. I had no idea what this movie was going to be about, other than knowing astronauts find some bacteria and after it I just wanted to talk to someone about it. When you see it you will know why.

It had some similarities to alien in the end which is by no means a bad thing. A difference I suppose is that alien has some movie moments in terms of the characters and what they do whereas in this it plays more like an accurate representation of what would happen should our brothers and sisters up there find some new species or bacteria.

After this I won't even ready any reviews or synopsis of films before going to see them. It saddens me that people are put off by negative reviews, when there is a strong possibility that they could or would love the film in question.

The CGI in this movie is unreal and the film is visually stunning. There is great character relationships and a whole lot of bum clenching moments, without delving into spoilers I will say you will touch your face in 'ermagerdage' once or twice. What would you do on a ship if things potentially went wrong? Where would you go?
I thought this was a brilliant original film and would love to see a sequel to this.… Expand

16 of 33 users found this helpful1617

johntechwriter

Feb 28, 2019

The most underrated science fiction film of 2017. I recommend Life because it pushes all my buttons for an SF film: 1) high quality production that makes you feel it's really happening in space; 2) an original, interesting, believable story; 3) an original and very nasty creature; 4) a smallThe most underrated science fiction film of 2017. I recommend Life because it pushes all my buttons for an SF film: 1) high quality production that makes you feel it's really happening in space; 2) an original, interesting, believable story; 3) an original and very nasty creature; 4) a small group of well-played characters you get to care about; 5) a storyline that grabs you because you never know what will happen next -- and your guesses are usually wrong; 5) a shocking ending.

If your priorities are like mine, and if like me you are a science fiction snob who thinks most SF movies are crap and you celebrate when a good one comes along, you will probably enjoy this film. I recommend you ignore the mainstream critics who for reasons that puzzle me sell this movie short. Ignore reviews with spoilers or comparisons to a certain Ridley Scott film because it is not at all like that film. Just watch the thing and be prepared for a great ride.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

alejandro970

Nov 28, 2020

"I am what I am, I don't look like anyone." This is how this film is justified, as it makes its effort not to be associated with Alien (1979), and does it well when it comes to generating tension in the viewer. To watch as you hum Life on mars? by David Bowie. It deserves a chance,"I am what I am, I don't look like anyone." This is how this film is justified, as it makes its effort not to be associated with Alien (1979), and does it well when it comes to generating tension in the viewer. To watch as you hum Life on mars? by David Bowie. It deserves a chance, especially for the end.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Skulb

Jun 14, 2017

A pretty good movie, although a bit cheesy. Still, it's about ten times better than Gravity was, and a little similar, so I have to up the score just based on that. I felt very cheated by that movie, and Life makes up for it at least a little bit.

Life is a decent sci-fi realism movie aboutA pretty good movie, although a bit cheesy. Still, it's about ten times better than Gravity was, and a little similar, so I have to up the score just based on that. I felt very cheated by that movie, and Life makes up for it at least a little bit.

Life is a decent sci-fi realism movie about something that is possible, if not very probable. As always, it is not too realistic at times though. An escape capsule with directional thrusters only is somehow supposed to generate enough thrust to reach escape velocity. Just all sorts of no on that from anyone who knows the first thing about orbital navigation. You would need a big burst lasting a few minutes to do this. Still, after Covenant I have lost faith in my Hollywood scientists and barely noticed this and other, slightly less ridiculous things. It is also the only thing that is completely ludicrous from a scientific standpoint, so I'll give it a pass.
But Life is a pretty awesome horror story anyway, in the same mold as the inevitable Alien. It isn't as good as Alien, but it might have been with a little more thought put into the characters and their behavior and dialog. For example, why do ALL the characters have to have the same sappy reaction to a crew member dying? Can't one of them at least show some, I don't know, rage? Confusion? Resolve in a crisis? No, no. They all have to cry like girls because that's just how astronauts are; a very emotional group of people there. And why do they read children's books in the middle of an emergency? What am I watching here?
Anyway, and despite this awful and unrealistic sentimentality, the ending is just proper B-movie "surprise" cheese, and sort of rights the ship before you leave. Although at this point in the story they had the choice between two cliches that would both have been just as bad in different ways. I for one prefer the ending they chose, even if it is a bit worn by now.

Watch this instead of the awful Covenant. And if an occasion arises for any reason to choose it before Gravity and The Martian, go see Life instead.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

jacob4

Jul 14, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Life may have seemed like the next Alien movie for a new generation, but the trailer was very misleading, first of all Ryan Reynolds was only in like 10 or 15 minutes of the movie, and the plot turned into a survival thriller. At least it had an interesting story, characters, outstanding special effects and a new original alien. But still, the movie was kind of predictable and didn't really have that terror feel, and an extremely predictable plot and twist ending where the alien is still alive.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Val-835

Apr 1, 2017

Terrible plot. Astronauts aboard ISS violate any imaginable protocol in dealing with an alien life form. These guys are supposed to be smart ( many of them are scientists ) but here they seem to be retarded. One of them is studying the life form with his rubber gloves !!!.
The rest of theTerrible plot. Astronauts aboard ISS violate any imaginable protocol in dealing with an alien life form. These guys are supposed to be smart ( many of them are scientists ) but here they seem to be retarded. One of them is studying the life form with his rubber gloves !!!.
The rest of the movie follows the same pattern. Wow !
There is a chilling aspect to this. As lousy as it all seems, this could actually happen somewhere in the future.… Expand

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

jpatric

Jul 27, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This film's plot, pacing, and acting is so horrendously bad that it managed to make Tommy Wiseau's "The Room" look like a cinematic masterpiece never before imagined by the most brilliant minds in the industry. I won't spoil the plot for you simply because a five year old could produce better content in the span of two seconds than clearly any imaginative thought that went into this thing disguising itself as a "Movie".

Ryan Reynolds spends the entirety of the film wondering why he's not acting for "Deadpool 2" yet, because even he knows how bad this is and would rather simmer in his frustration as he goes through the motions. He performs as best acting as possible alongside other actors who appear to share similar feelings about the plot and are so ecstatic when one of them inevitably gets killed off because it takes their minds off the nonsense that is "Life".

The ideas presented are a straight, trope-heavy rip of every "Alien" movie ever conceived, and, oh my goodness, the progression is slower than waiting in traffic after a seven thousand car pile up on the highway (which would still have more entertainment value than "Life".

All deaths are telegraphed, and the plot is forcible moved only by extremely unintelligent decisions somehow made by a crew supposedly stocked with geniuses. They managed to qualify as reputable astronauts and yet possess the judgment ability of hedgehogs. This film was so bad that, during sex, I immediately lost my will to continue after having PTSD-like flashbacks on literally any part of this catastrophe.

Thus, I am convinced that the director and writers behind this film are pug canines hiding among us as real people. These pugs have manifested their vision of what a film looks like, regressing humanity itself into a time when silent films were all the rage and people thought Stalin was a cool bro.

If you are still trying to go watch this film after this review, please just donate that money instead to a much better cause, film, or literally anything else far from this illusion. Thanks for your time; have nicest day ever.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

SEE ALL 137 REVIEWS

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Life: David Ellison On The Cast

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Life: Dr. Kevin Fong On Preparing The Cast To Play Astronauts

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Life: Dr. Rudi Schmidt On What's Involved In Advising Space Matters

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Life: Dr. Adam Rutherford On What The Team Recovers

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Life: Ariyon Bakare On What The Story Is About

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Life: Dana Goldberg On The Life Form From Mars

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Life: Daniel Espinosa On The Film Being Based On Real Life Events

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Life: Hiroyuki Sanada On What Audiences Can Expect

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Life: Marc Homes On The Importance Of Designing The Set For Wire Work

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Life: Olga Dihovichnaya On The Diversity Of The Cast

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Life: Jenny Beavan On The Russian Space Suits

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Life (Restricted Trailer)

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Life: Rebecca Ferguson On What The Story Is About

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Life: Ryan Reynolds On The Crew's Mission

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Life: Alex Reynolds On Her Research Process

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Life: Save

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Life (International Trailer 3)

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Life (International Trailer 3 Clean)

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Life (International Trailer 4 Clean)

Life (International Trailer 1)

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Life (International Trailer 6)

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Life (International Trailer 5)

Life: Encounter (Featurette)

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Life: 7th Planet Encounter (Featurette)

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Life (International Trailer 4)

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Life (International Trailer 2)

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Life: Paul Wernick & Rhett Reese On What's Terrifying About Finding Life On...

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Life: Tom Debenham On The Collaborative Nature Of The VFX

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Life: Jake Gyllenhaal working with Ryan Reynolds (International)

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Life: Jake Gyllenhaal on the discovery on David Reynolds (International)

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Life: Jake Gyllenhaal on how life impacts the individual crew members...

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Life: Rebecca Ferguson About Life On Mars (International)

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Life: Rebecca Ferguson About Miranda's responsibility (International)

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Life: Katerina Golovkina On Daniel Espinosa's cultural background...

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Life: Rebecca Ferguson What attracted you to this project (International)

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Life: Daniel Espinosa On what the audience should expect (International)

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Life: Daniel Espinosa On The Cast (International)

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Life (International Trailer 8 Clean)

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Life (Clean Trailer)

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Life (Home Ent. Trailer)

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Life (International Trailer 8)

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Life (International Trailer 11)

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Life: Daniel Espinosa On The film (International)

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Life (International Trailer 11 Clean)

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Life: Katerina Golovkina On Working with Jake Gyllenhaal (International)

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Life: Katerina Golovkina About Her Role (International)

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Life: Rebecca Ferguson On What Makes 'Life' A Terrifying Film

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Life: Ryan Reynolds about Miranda North (International)

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Life: Ryan Reynolds on working with Jake Gyllenhaal (International)

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Life: Ariyon Bakare On What Makes 'Life' A Terrifying Film

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Life: Jake Gyllenhaal And Ryan Reynolds On The Film

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Life: Hand (International Clean)

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Life: Hand (International)

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Life: Ryan Reynolds on the Mars life form (International)

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Life: Ryan Reynolds on the Story (International)

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Life: Ariyon Bakare on the challenge of weightlessnes (International)

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Life: Ariyon Bakare On the way of life (International)

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Life: Ariyon Bakare about his role (International)

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Life: Hiroyuki Sanada about what the viewer will like (International)

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Life: Hiroyuki Sanada about his role (International)

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Life: Hiroyuki Sanada about the mission (International)

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Life (International 30 Second TV Spot)

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38	#38 Most Discussed Movie of 2017
28	#28 Most Shared Movie of 2017