Life (2017), directed by Daniel Espinosa, is a tense sci-fi horror thriller set aboard the International Space Station. With a claustrophobic setting, a terrifying alien organism, and a darkly ironic ending, the film draws clear inspiration from classics like Alien while carving its own path in the genre.
Detailed Summary
Discovery of Life on Mars
The film begins with a crew of six aboard the ISS who retrieve a soil sample from Mars. Within the sample, they discover a dormant single-cell organism, which they name Calvin. The creature quickly begins to grow under laboratory conditions, fascinating the crew and the world back on Earth.
Calvin Evolves
Initially harmless and beautiful under a microscope, Calvin soon demonstrates extraordinary adaptability and intelligence. It evolves into a multi-celled organism capable of surviving in different environments. But when a lab accident occurs, Calvin becomes hostile and lethally defensive.
The Crew’s Struggle for Survival
One by one, the astronauts are picked off by Calvin in brutal fashion. The crew attempts various containment strategies, but Calvin proves resilient to extreme measures like fire and vacuum exposure. The tension escalates as the crew realizes that if Calvin reaches Earth, it could wipe out all other life forms.
The Plan to Stop Calvin
The surviving astronauts, David Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Miranda North (Rebecca Ferguson), devise a desperate plan: lure Calvin into one of the escape pods. David will pilot his pod into deep space, sacrificing himself and Calvin, while Miranda will return safely to Earth with the second pod to warn humanity.
⇢ VIRAL RIGHT NOW
Movie Ending
In the nail-biting final sequence, the plan is set into motion. The two pods detach from the ISS. Viewers are led to believe Miranda successfully escaped to Earth, while David heroically traps Calvin in his pod and sacrifices himself in the void of space.
However, the final twist reveals the opposite: Miranda’s pod drifts into deep space, leaving her to die, while David’s pod, entangled by Calvin, lands safely on Earth. As fishermen approach the pod to rescue David, he struggles helplessly inside, completely trapped by Calvin’s web-like structure. The fishermen open the pod despite David’s muffled attempts to warn them, sealing humanity’s doom as Calvin escapes into Earth’s ecosystem.
This chilling ending confirms the worst fear: Calvin has made it home.
Are There Post-Credits Scenes?
No. Life does not feature a post-credits scene. The bleak and shocking ending is the film’s final note, leaving audiences unsettled without additional epilogues or teases.
Type of Movie
Life is a sci-fi horror thriller. It blends scientific realism with the suspense of isolation and the terror of a deadly extraterrestrial life form.
Cast
- Jake Gyllenhaal as Dr. David Jordan
- Rebecca Ferguson as Dr. Miranda North
- Ryan Reynolds as Rory Adams
- Hiroyuki Sanada as Sho Murakami
- Ariyon Bakare as Dr. Hugh Derry
- Olga Dihovichnaya as Ekaterina Golovkina
Film Music and Composer
The score was composed by Jon Ekstrand, whose atmospheric and tense soundscape heightens the claustrophobic dread and punctuates Calvin’s horrifying presence. The music is deliberately minimalistic, amplifying suspense rather than overwhelming it.
Filming Locations
The film was primarily shot at Shepperton Studios in the United Kingdom. The confined, zero-gravity ISS environment was meticulously built and enhanced with CGI to replicate life aboard the station. The decision to keep the setting realistic, rather than overly futuristic, adds to the movie’s tension and believability.
⇢ KEEP UP WITH THE TREND
Awards and Nominations
Life didn’t receive major awards recognition but was noted for its visual effects and sound design, both of which received praise from critics and fans of the genre.
Behind the Scenes Insights
- Ryan Reynolds was originally slated for a larger role but had limited screen time due to scheduling conflicts with Deadpool 2.
- The creature Calvin was designed using references from jellyfish, amoebas, and octopuses to create something both alien and believable.
- To simulate zero gravity, the cast underwent extensive wirework training, spending hours suspended to mimic floating in space.
- Jake Gyllenhaal admitted that the cramped set design contributed naturally to the tension among the actors.
Inspirations and References
The film draws heavy inspiration from:
- The French comic Valérian and Laureline (ironically also adapted by Luc Besson the same year).
- Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979).
- Real-world NASA research into Martian soil and extraterrestrial life.
Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes
The final ending was always intended to be dark, but early drafts reportedly considered leaving Calvin’s fate ambiguous. Ultimately, the filmmakers decided on a definitive twist ending, reinforcing the horror theme. Some extended character background scenes were filmed but cut to maintain pacing.
Book Adaptations and Differences
Life is not adapted from a book. However, it sparked novelizations after its release, which expanded on backstories of certain crew members but did not deviate significantly from the film’s narrative.
⇢ MOST SHARED RIGHT NOW
Memorable Scenes and Quotes
Key Scenes
- Calvin’s first aggressive attack on Hugh in the lab.
- Rory Adams’ (Ryan Reynolds) death inside the containment room, a shocking and brutal scene.
- The haunting twist ending with the pod landing on Earth.
Iconic Quotes
- David Jordan: “Goodnight, Moon.”
- Miranda North: “We don’t know what it’s capable of.”
- David Jordan (final narration): “Life will always find a way to survive.”
Easter Eggs and Hidden Details
- Calvin’s name comes from Calvin Coolidge Elementary School, a contest-winning suggestion from children within the film’s story.
- The ISS set was based closely on NASA schematics to ensure realism.
- Fans speculated the film could secretly be a Venom prequel (Sony owns both properties), due to thematic similarities of a deadly alien symbiote—but this was later denied by the filmmakers.
Trivia
- Jake Gyllenhaal took the role partly because he wanted to honor his friend Heath Ledger, who had always been fascinated by space.
- Calvin’s final form required up to 1,500 CGI artists to design and animate.
- The movie was released just months before Alien: Covenant, leading to heavy comparisons between the two.
Why Watch?
If you’re a fan of claustrophobic sci-fi thrillers with terrifying alien encounters and a gut-punch ending, Life delivers. It’s a movie that doesn’t hold back on the horror, challenges the optimism of space exploration, and leaves you thinking long after the credits roll.
Director’s Other Movies
- Safe House (2012)
- Child 44 (2015)
- Morbius (2022)
- Snabba Cash (2010)
