A bit of life

Johnson Thomas

A team of six scientists led by the captain of the ship, Katerine Golovkin (Olga Dihovichnaya), near record-breaking long-term space traveller Dr David Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal), Quarantine officer Dr Miranda North (Rebecca Ferguson), Rory Adams (Ryan Reynolds), Hugh Derry (Ariyon Bakare) and Sho Kendo (Hiroyuki Sanada), aboard the International Space Station (ISS), discover a rapidly evolving life form, which caused extinction on Mars and now threatens the crew and all life forms on Earth. 

But that’s not the way it starts. The scientists have to first save the samples from the malfunctioning unmanned probe and transfer them to a safe zone, especially quarantined for the purpose of the experiment. After trying out different atmospheres for the parasite’s awakening, they hit on the ideal combination and see results immediately. But it’s happening too fast and too aggressively for them to stay secure for long.

By christening the life form, Calvin, they sort of invest their personal emotion in the awakening of it. So it’s hard for them to nip the aggression it exhibits even when it further cripples Hugh Derry with its bone-crushing tentacle-like arms. Rory Adams’ death though is a little hard to ignore. He dies within the precincts of the lab with the organism feeding off him and growing in power, size and intelligence. The scientists could have ended it there had they sought to change the atmosphere of the lab, but unfortunately they act like bumbling idiots and attack the organism with fire. The rest of it is about surviving against all odds - save for the tricky ending. 

‘Life’ is generic in its expanse, doesn't break new ground yet manages to hold you in its grip, despite crippling fault lines. The pace is invigorating, the tension is palpable, emotions are adroitly triggered, performances are integral and runtime is short.