Ridley Scott’s Alien has proven to be one of the most influential entries in both the sci-fi and horror genres, resulting in a slew of thinly-veiled imitations and outright ripoffs, but few spiritual successors have proven to be as entertainingly indebted to the classic movie than Daniel Espinosa’s Life.
A glossy modern update of Alien bearing an almost identical premise, the material is significantly elevated by a serious boost of star power among the gruesome body horror and accomplished visual effects. Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, and Ryan Reynolds headline the cast, with the bulk of the story taking place on the International Space Station.
History is made when the crew discover the first evidence of proven extraterrestrial life, but as you can imagine, things quickly spiral out of control in dangerous and deadly fashion. Nicknamed Calvin, the alien creature evolves and learns at an unimaginable rate, plunging the intrepid astronauts into a desperate battle for survival.
Despite bringing absolutely nothing new to the table, Life turned out to be a decent-sized hit at the box office by earning just a shade over $100 million on a budget reported to be hovering around the $60 million mark. Reviews were solid without being spectacular, too, and there was even a popular fan theory making the rounds in the aftermath that the cosmic terror was a secret Venom prequel, which obviously turned out to be wide of the mark.
With director Espinosa’s Morbius currently reigning supreme as the world’s number one film, Netflix subscribers have been opting to revisit the filmmaker’s previous brush with horror-tinged escapism in their droves, with FlixPatrol naming Life as one of the platform’s most-watched titles after it scored countless Top 10 finishes around the world.