Visceral, claustrophobic and dark

Rating: 8/10 (22 June 2017)

This film is like Gravity and Alien, but with more of a horror element.
It's a dark, visceral and claustrophobic film that shows you the collision of two worlds. No, not Mars and Earth, but science and the unknown. What happens when scientists come across an alien that is not studiable, not knowable, not interested in playing the game.
It's a first contact story, but one in which everything goes terribly wrong. The nightmare here is not one of misunderstanding or miscommunication (like Arrival) but the sheer inability to co-exist. It's about an unstoppable creature from Mars that kills in terrifying ways. From the start, the awful realization is that the entire human race is in danger.
I'm not going to lie to you: I am not sure I enjoyed this film. I'm a fan of sci-fi, not Cronenburg-style horror. As soon as I realized what kind of a creature this was, I foresaw the entire movie. Too bad the people actually involved in it all didn't foresee it in the same way. They had to go through it all. The alien in this movie will remind you of every filthy thing you fear when walking through a marsh. This alien is definitely the star of the show, a work of creative genius.
The cinematography showing the earth and the space station was credible and beautifully done. If you're going to this movie to drool over Reynolds and Gyllenhaal, don't bother. Unsexiest movie ever.
Good performances from everyone, especially Dihovichnaya and Sanada.
It's worth about 7.5, I suppose. If this kind of film appeals to you, go see it. But don't expect a light, feel-good experience. And, um, maybe we really shouldn't explore Mars.