Vincenzo de Divitiis
•A group of six astronauts, sent into space aboard an international station, crown their research by intercepting an organic sample from Mars that could testify to the existence of extraterrestrial life and thus demonstrate that there is life on other planets. The discovery generates great enthusiasm and festive reactions on Earth, and the organism, named Calvin by a child from an elementary school, is taken to the lab to be studied. But Calvin, despite the name, is a creature anything but quiet and harmless: it indeed possesses a highly developed cellular structure all muscle and brain, grows disproportionately, and shows threatening behaviors that escalate into an attack on the biologist Hugh Derry, who until that moment had treated it almost like a son. The ominous event will only be the beginning of a hard fight between the monstrous alien creature and the group of astronauts who aim to keep the being away from planet Earth.
Are we alone in the universe or are there other forms of life on other planets and galaxies? And if so, what do they look like? Questions that have tormented us for millennia and could not fail to stimulate the imagination of directors of every generation who have sought, with different approaches and styles, to provide an answer and give form to the other inhabitants of space. The genres that have most ridden this wave are, needless to say, science fiction and horror that often joined forces to create a vast imaginary of films about evil and monstrous aliens that threaten humanity, as happens in the founding film of the genre represented by "Alien". From the latter title have sprung countless films in its image and likeness, among which the most recent is "Life - do not cross the limit", new work by Daniel Espinosa who signs a sci-fi horror more than successful, vibrant and capable of reuniting the tastes and needs of different types of viewers.
It must be said immediately that "Life" does not stand out in terms of originality and relies on well-established and well-oiled mechanisms to convey the right amount of unease. Espinosa's, in fact, is a genre film in the most classic sense of the term and a very simple and linear screenplay confirms this, boasting countless scenes of tension and fear in which the protagonists are chased by this monstrous creature, almost as if it were a slasher set in space.
Horror lovers will also be pleased with the very tight pacing, some splatter images always of strong impact and, above all, the aspect of the alien that represents the true highlight of the film: first it resembles a small, unpredictable jellyfish and then, as it feeds on the energy of its victims, it transforms into a huge milky body, endowed with superhuman strength and developed intelligence.
Other points in favor of "Life" come from the visual department that evidently recalls "Gravity" and offers moments of pure spectacle with suggestive shots of space and planet Earth, seen at a very close distance
Those who would like a more structured and complex plot might be disappointed by the fact that the characters are poorly characterized and some narrative twists are a bit telegraphed like the ending that, although very gripping, may seem obvious to someone.
But these are minor flaws that do not detract from the good result of Espinosa's film which can count on a stellar cast composed of names such as Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare.
"Life", in conclusion, is a product that fully does its duty and is highly recommended for those who love pure entertainment cinema, but may disappoint those who want to see a B-movie shot with an A-level directorial style.
Comments