As a seasoned gamer and film enthusiast with over three decades of immersion in the vast universe of science fiction, I can confidently say that Hollywood has been trying to capture the magic of Ridley Scott’s “Alien” for far too long, often resulting in mediocre attempts at recreating the horror and suspense. However, every once in a while, a diamond in the rough emerges, and 2017’s “Life” was just that – a gritty, terrifying, and intellectually stimulating gem hiding among the rubble of generic sci-fi flicks.
For over four decades since the debut of “Alien,” Hollywood has consistently produced a stream of imitators, hoping to rekindle the groundbreaking terror in space that was first presented on the Nostromo ship in Ridley Scott’s enduring sci-fi masterpiece.
The outcomes, more frequently missing than hitting, ironically recall the reckless endeavors of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation for procuring, examining, and replicating the Xenomorph, despite lacking comprehensive knowledge about it. Notably, even the Alien series (beyond Aliens) is not immune to this human tendency of disregarding logic and reason in pursuit of immediate gains.
A movie in the style of “Alien” can certainly draw inspiration from the 1979 original, given its enduring influence. However, to avoid serving stale food in the entertainment industry, it’s essential to offer something fresh and novel. One film that manages to rise above the din of mediocre imitations is the 2017 release “Life” (now available on Peacock), which was unfairly overlooked upon its premiere. Considering it starred Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, and Hiroyuki Sanada, it’s surprising that it slipped by with minimal attention.
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Why the Alien-inspired Life (2017) deserves a second chance
At first glance, the movie “Life” (written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who later became Twisted Metal producers) appears to be a rehashed version of the “Alien” theme: an alien creature from another planet escapes on a state-of-the-art spaceship, rapidly grows larger, and brutally eliminates humans one by one. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? But don’t let that fool you; while the basic structure is similar, it’s the clever adjustments to the classic formula that make “Life” a valuable contribution to the genre.
One key aspect of this film is its setting: instead of being on a futuristic spacecraft light years away, it unfolds aboard the International Space Station (ISS) circling Earth. This brings an added realism to the impending alien threat, making it seem more relatable. Additionally, the zero-gravity environment offers scenarios exclusive to such conditions, adding a unique twist to the narrative.
During an interview with Deadline in 2017, Life director Daniel Espinosa (of Safe House and Child 44) commented that when Alien was created, it represented the post-atomic era. People were intrigued by a dystopian neo-punk vision of the future, which sparked much speculation and filmmaking. Fast forward to today, if you ask a young person about the future, they’re often clueless, unable to imagine what the world will look like even in 20 years. The world is so unpredictable that their biggest fear is what tomorrow may bring. Life, according to Espinosa, depicts this very uncertainty – not events a hundred years from now, but what lies just ahead.
After that, let’s discuss the situation leading to the alien’s presence on the International Space Station (ISS). The mysterious entity, affectionately named “Calvin” by schoolchildren, is not an unexpected stowaway from the farthest corners of space, but a planned visitor, transported aboard in a Martian soil sample. Unlike the Nostromo crew who stumbled upon an alien, the astronauts in Life are well-aware of Calvin’s existence and have put safety and quarantine measures in place to keep him confined, should anything go wrong. The most chilling aspect is how our most advanced precautions hold no meaning for the creature. Despite their actions being scientifically sound, these characters still suffer the gravest consequences for their curiosity.
Moving forward, we encounter Calvin, whose creature design is truly impressive, evoking images of grand, swift, and eerily unsettling marine life you might discover in the most mysterious, abyssal parts of the ocean. Unlike the Xenomorph, which adopts traits from its host during incubation, Calvin possesses no humanoid characteristics. He is an extraterrestrial being entirely, bearing a resemblance to a sea star, hydra, manta ray, or any number of the tentacled terrors within the Cthulhu Mythos.
Espinosa explained to Interview Magazine that he opted for a different approach in the design process, departing from the typical method he usually employs. He felt most creatures often resemble each other too much. Instead, he chose a scientific route. He enlisted a top-notch geneticist and, similar to how dinosaurs are constructed by assembling one bone at a time, this expert was tasked with reversing the process. If a one-cell organism possesses certain characteristics and abilities depicted in the script, and it’s bred and developed in a zero-gravity environment, what assumptions would you make about its appearance?
The incredible ending of 2017’s Life
At long last, we reach the climax, a twist that leaves us reeling as it defies conventional happy endings. In an act of selflessness, Dr. David Jordan (Gyllenhaal) makes a valiant attempt to send the creature far from Earth using one of the dilapidated escape pods in the space station. Meanwhile, Dr. Miranda North (Ferguson) prepares to return home and share with her superiors all that our astronauts have endured. As a devoted fan, I find this unexpected turn of events both captivating and thought-provoking.
Initially, it appears that the plan has been executed perfectly… until suddenly, we realize that Jordan has accidentally transported an alien onto Earth, enclosed in a sticky, cocoon-like substance. As North’s final moments unfold onscreen, she lets out a desperate scream (echoing the chilling tagline from Alien) as her broken pod drifts away into the cosmos. The unexpected twist, reminiscent of the old bait-and-switch trick, effectively concludes Life with a grim, nihilistic touch that resembles John Carpenter’s The Thing more than the hopeful sentiment found in Alien’s finale.
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2024-12-18 22:46