A predictable homage to "Alien," lacking the key ingredients that made "Alien" so terrifying.

Rating: 5/10 (31 March 2017)

"Life" being an "Alien" ripoff should not come as a surprise to anybody; it's been marketed that way since day one. Compared to the majority of what the genre has been spewing out lately, though, a derivative sci-fi thriller can be seen as a breath of fresh air. And in many ways, "Life" succeeds as one. It's fluidly directed, well-acted, sporadically suspenseful, and thoroughly entertaining. The space setting lends itself to impressive visuals and claustrophobic scenarios, of which "Life" has no shortage. The problems with the film lie underneath the surface.
Part of what made "Alien" such a terrifying experience was its bleak atmosphere. The exploration of a cold, desolate, seemingly uninhabitable planet; traversing through the long, white corridors of the ship; the lingering sense of unease, not knowing where the alien was at any given moment. "Life" is more streamlined, its action taking place entirely on board an indistinctive space shuttle. Some scenes serve as clear homages to "Alien," such as David (Jake Gyllenhaal) floating through uncertain corridors mirroring Dallas' maneuvering of the airlocks, and one of the crew members being in isolated danger, forcing the others to decide whether or not to assist them and risk endangering the rest of the crew. These scenes work well enough to generate a modicum of suspense, but their impact is severely reduced because of the fact that we've seen it before. It's difficult to be truly scared when you know exactly what's going to happen to who and when.
Perhaps the biggest issue with "Life" is its characters. None of them have distinct personalities; we're hardly given a chance to get to know them. Some of the most effective scenes in "Alien" were simply watching the crew sitting around and chatting - we saw how they interacted with each other under normal circumstances, we noticed their quirks firsthand, we understood what their priorities were early on; so when crap started hitting the fan, those subtle characterizations made the tension all the more visceral and relatable. In "Life," we're introduced to caricatures who spout bland dialogue and do consistently stupid things. All we really know about them is their jobs, so you don't feel an impact when any particular character bites it.
Still, "Life" is too well-made to be completely dismissed. Sci-fi horror fans will likely find enjoyment from a one-time watch, if only for the constant callbacks to "Alien." It fails to break any new ground, but it's a perfectly serviceable and moderately thrilling addition to the genre.