This is Not "The Martian"

Rating: 7/10 (13 May 2017)

We have certain expectations for astronauts. We expect them to be brilliant, better than normal humans in extraordinarily stressful situations. To be calm in the face of insurmountable odds, calmly science the sh** out of something, and miraculously come out the other side alive and triumphant. Or else ennobled to exhibit saintly self-sacrifice, and die a martyr for mankind, their friends, and all of Earth, with a single tear rolling down their face, a small smile, and no regrets.
This is not that space movie.
This film is a mud bucket with its characters slowly sucking under. You know they're doomed. They know they're doomed. But they don't believe it yet. The ultimate irony of "Life" is that each individual life is so desperate to save itself, they're willing to shove their friend's faces in the muck to claw their way out, even at the expense of the 'greater good' and their own ultimate survival.
You will be frustrated. You will scream at the screen and hide behind your popcorn. Your stomach will twist up in knots of dread and you will feel hunted. These are not unique feelings, and this is not a 'unique' film, but it is a solidly done, emotionally effective, science- horror film that will linger, just a bit, as you think about the purpose of 'life' and the reasons why we struggle so hard to keep living at any cost, and the utter helplessness that comes when our best efforts prove worthless.