Tense and good looking, but lacks originality

Rating: 6/10 (23 March 2017)

The trapped-in-space subgenre is one of the most common within the cinematic sci-fi realm. In order to stand out something special is required, a spark of inventiveness that shines a new light on a well-worn plot. This mainstream thriller from Safe House director Daniel Espinosa doesn't have that spark; in fact, by all outwards appearances, it's not even attempting to breathe fresh air into its decades-old formula. It's just trying to entertain. Essentially a C-grade outing decorated with A-grade trimmings, Espinosa stretches every dollar of his relatively modest $58 million budget in order to employ cutting edge CGI and a ridiculously talented cast, which goes a long way in disguising the entirely unoriginal story. The set pieces are executed with flair, often mounting tension and unease before culminating in unexpected violence; an early death establishing the uncompromising tone that permeates all the way to the very end. The lack of narrative innovation aside, the other major blunder is the visualisation of the otherworldly threat. All muscle and all brain (as we're told numerous times), the design of the creature is rather dull and unmemorable. As for the humans on screen, they all bring their best despite tackling some wooden dialogue and clichÃ©d character traits, with Jake Gyllenhaal and Rebecca Ferguson having the biggest impact. Life doesn't add anything new or ground breaking to the sci-fi genre, but it does serve up a suspenseful, good looking and solidly acted outer-space thriller.