Life (2017)
Science Fiction/Thriller, 104 Minutes.
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds.
Now available for mobile cinema events
Synopsis
‘Life’ is an intense sci-fi thriller about a team of scientists aboard the International Space Station whose mission of discovery turns to one of primal fear when they find a rapidly evolving life-form that caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth.
Review
Many scriptwriters claim that there are no new stories. But that doesn’t mean you should give up, because there are many points of view you can always use to create a unique angle on a familiar plot. Life promises a sci-fi thriller where an alien life form picks off crew members of a spaceship, drawing more than a close resemblance to the movie Alien. However, I was willing to give it a go despite this glaring similarity. After all there have been countless movies dealing with alien life forms that threaten our existence on earth and I am a complete sucker for them.
The alien creature, nicknamed Calvin, starts out being very interesting and original with its beautiful production design. It is kind of like a squid, jellyfish type thing that doesn’t take the appearance of the standard evil alien creature hell bent on taking over the human race. But as it’s size rapidly grows along with the body count the creature quickly starts to take the predictable appearance of something that’s more at home in one of the Alien films, Right down to the disappearing down the throat trick. I don’t think I’ve seen an alien film yet that doesn’t want to jam something down someone’s throat. I thought this let the film down a little, obviously the productions decision makers thought this thing didn’t look nasty enough so they had to keep mutating it as it grows. Haven’t they ever seen a Lion or Grizzly Bear? cute as hell until they are biting your head off. No, it has to be slimy with tentacles.
The film predictably goes on a by the numbers killing spree with only the zero gravity cinematography to keep you interested. The deaths are gross, drawn out and unoriginal. The only reason for the lingering killing scenes is probably down to the fact that there are only six crew members and you’ve got to milk every death scene for what you can.
All in all it sounds like I hated it, but it was actually quite enjoyable. It’s just a shame they didn’t have the guts to turn a familiar plot into something that felt exciting and original.
I also gave the film an extra star for the ending, at least they had the guts to take that somewhere original. I think I was quietly chuckling to myself for the rest of the night after that.
Rating ★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
Life is currently available for Road Movie Mobile Cinema events. Please contact us for a film copyright quote for your next pop-up outdoor or indoor cinema event in South Australia or Victoria
Filed under: Film Lists | Tags: 20th Century Women, Beauty And The Beast, Life, The Mummy, Top 5 Movies, Wonder Woman
With 80 votes on our Google + Poll, here are our top 5 movie releases for September 2017.
5. 1% voted for 20th Century Women (M)
Available 13 September – Outdoor from 13 December 2017.
‘Love and loss go hand in hand in 20th Century Women, a funny, emotionally piercing story about a teenager and the women who raise him.’ Full review
Manohla Dargis – The NYTimes
4. 9% voted for The Mummy (M)
Available 6 September – Outdoor from 6 December 2017.
‘The Mummy is not your usual lousy movie. It has been made with skill and hits its marks. But those marks are so low and so brazenly mercenary that it doesn’t feel like much of an achievement.’ Full review
David Edelstein – Vulture
3. 15% voted for Beauty And The Beast (PG)
Available 21 September – Outdoor from 21 December 2017.
Watson is an ideal Belle in this wonderful remake that’s at once nostalgic and new, bringing to life the musical both for kids and life-long adult fans. Full review
Sandie Angulo Chen – Common Sense Media
2. 16% voted for Life (MA15+)
Now Available
The alien creature, nicknamed Calvin, starts out being very interesting and original with its beautiful production design. It is kind of like a squid, jellyfish type thing that doesn’t take the appearance of the standard evil alien creature hell bent on taking over the human race.Full Review
Andy Marshall – Road Movie Mobile Cinema
David Sims – The Atlantic
1. 59% voted for Wonder Woman (M)
Available 20 September – Outdoor from 20 December 2017.
Wonder Woman is a beautifully directed superhero origin story that digs into Diana’s transformation from naive warrior to inspiring hero. Full review
Molly Freeman – Screen Rant
Let us know if you agree or disagree with how the top five list turned out.
To book any of these September releases for your next screening please fill out a quote request on the following web page.
Filed under: Film Lists | Tags: 20th Century Women, A Stork's Journey, After The Storm, All Eyez On Me, Arsenal, Beauty And The Beast, Despicable Me 3, Despite The Falling Snow, Goon: Last Of The Enforcers, In Dubious Battle, Kung Fu Yoga, Life, Long Way North, My Pet Dinosaur, Norman: The Moderate Rise & Tragic Fall Of A New York Fixer (M), The Devil's Candy, The Girl With All The Gifts, The Last Word, The Mummy, The Promise, The Shack, Things To Come, Viceroy's House, Weiner-Dog, Whiteley, Whitney - Can I Be Me, Wonder Woman
Latest films available for mobile cinema events in Adelaide and throughout South Australia. Movie copyrights for indoor and outdoor cinemas, commercial, free and fundraising events. Click on the images to see full film posters.
20th Century Women (M)
Available 13 September – Outdoor from 13 December 2017.
Comedy/Drama, 118 Minutes.
Starring: Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig
The story of a teenage boy, his mother, and two other women who help raise him among the love and freedom of Southern California of 1979.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
After The Storm (PG)
Available 6 September – Outdoor from 6 December 2017.
Drama, 117 Minutes.
Starring: Hiroshi Abe, Yôko Maki, Satomi Kobayashi
*** In Japanese with English subtitles ***
After the death of his father, a private detective struggles to find child support money and reconnect with his son and ex-wife.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
All Eyez On Me (MA15+)
Available 20 September – Outdoor from 20 December 2017.
Biography/Drama/Music, 129 Minutes.
Starring: Demetrius Shipp Jr., Danai Gurira, Kat Graham
Tells the true and untold story of prolific rapper, actor, poet and activist Tupac Shakur.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
Arsenal (R18+)
Available 13 September – Outdoor from 13 December 2017.
Thriller, 93 Minutes.
Starring: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Adrian Grenier
A Southern mobster attempts to rescue his kidnapped brother.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
A Stork’s Journey (G)
Available 20 September – Outdoor from 20 December 2017.
Animation/Adventure, 80 Minutes.
Featuring Voices of: Tilman Döbler, Cooper Kelly Kramer, Shannon Conley
Even though everybody else thinks he’s a sparrow – Richard himself holds tight to the conviction that he is in fact a stork.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
Beauty And The Beast (PG)
Available 21 September – Outdoor from 21 December 2017.
Family/Fantasy/Musical, 129 Minutes.
Starring: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans
An adaptation of the fairy tale about a monstrous-looking prince and a young woman who fall in love.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
Despicable Me 3 (PG)
Available 20 September – Outdoor from 20 December 2017
Animation/Action/Adventure, 90 Minutes.
Featuring Voices of: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Trey Parker
Gru meets his long-lost charming, cheerful, and more successful twin brother Dru who wants to team up with him for one last criminal heist.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
Despite The Falling Snow (M)
Available 6 September – Outdoor from 6 December 2017.
Drama/Mystery/Romance, 93 Minutes.
Starring: Rebecca Ferguson, Charles Dance, Oliver Jackson-Cohen
In Cold War Moscow, a female spy steals secrets from an idealistic politician – and falls in love with him.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
Goon: Last Of The Enforcers (MA15+)
Available 13 September – Outdoor from 13 December 2017.
Comedy/Sport, 101 Minutes.
Starring: Seann William Scott, Elisha Cuthbert, T.J. Miller, Liev Schreiber
A hockey player plagued by injuries is confronted with the possibility of retirement when a tough new player challenges his status as the league’s top enforcer.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
In Dubious Battle (M)
Available 27 September – Outdoor from 27 December 2017.
Drama, Rated M, 119 Minutes.
Starring: Nat Wolff, James Franco, Vincent D’Onofrio
An activist gets caught up in the labor movement for farm workers in California during the 1930s.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
Kung Fu Yoga (PG)
Available 6 September – Outdoor from 6 December 2017.
Action/Adventure/Comedy, 107 Minutes.
Starring: Jackie Chan, Disha Patani, Amyra Dastur
Two professors team up to locate a lost treasure and embark on an adventure that takes them from a Tibetan ice cave to Dubai to a mountain temple in India.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
Life (MA15+) Ranked #2 on the Top 5 Releases For September
Now Available
Science Fiction/Thriller, 104 Minutes.
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds.
‘Life’ is an intense sci-fi thriller about a team of scientist aboard the International Space Station whose mission of discovery turns to one of primal fear when they find a rapidly evolving life-form that caused extinction on Mars, and now threatens the crew and all life on Earth. Read our ★★★1/2 star review
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
Long Way North (PG)
Available 6 September – Outdoor from 6 December 2017.
Animation/Action/Adventure, 78 Minutes.
Featuring Voices of: Christa Théret, Féodor Atkine, Peter Hudson
In 1882, a young Russian aristocrat goes on an epic adventure to find out what happened to her grandfather and save her family’s reputation.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
My Pet Dinosaur (PG)
Available 6 September – Outdoor from 6 December 2017.
Action/Adventure/Family, 97 Minutes.
Starring: Joanne Samuel, David Roberts, Tiriel Mora
A troubled town is plunged into chaos when a boy accidentally makes a new friend.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
Norman: The Moderate Rise & Tragic Fall Of A New York Fixer (M)
Available 13 September – Outdoor from 13 December 2017.
Drama/Thriller, 118 Minutes.
Starring: Richard Gere, Lior Ashkenazi, Michael Sheen
Norman Oppenheimer is a small time operator who befriends a young politician at a low
point in his life. Three years later, when the politician becomes an influential world leader, Norman’s life dramatically changes for better and worse.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
The Devil’s Candy (MA15+)
Available 20 September – Outdoor from 20 December 2017.
Horror, 79 Minutes.
Starring: Ethan Embry, Shiri Appleby, Pruitt Taylor Vince
A struggling painter is possessed by satanic forces after he and his young family move
into their dream home in rural Texas, in this creepy haunted-house tale.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
The Girl With All The Gifts (MA15+)
Available 20 September – Outdoor from 20 December 2017.
Drama/Horror/Thriller, 107 Minutes.
Starring: Gemma Arterton, Glenn Close, Dominique Tipper
A scientist and a teacher living in a dystopian future embark on a journey of survival with a special young girl named Melanie.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
The Last Word (M)
Available 13 September – Outdoor from 13 December 2017.
Comedy/Drama, 108 Minutes.
Starring: Shirley MacLaine, Amanda Seyfried
Harriet is a retired businesswoman who tries to control everything around her. When she decides to write her own obituary, a young journalist takes up the task of finding out the truth resulting in a life-altering friendship.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
The Mummy (M)
Available 6 September – Outdoor from 6 December 2017.
Action/Adventure/Fantasy, 110 Minutes.
Starring: Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella, Annabelle Wallis
An ancient princess is awakened from her crypt beneath the desert, bringing with her
malevolence grown over millennia, and terrors that defy human comprehension.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
The Promise (M)
Available 20 September – Outdoor from 20 December 2017.
Drama/History, Rated M, 133 Minutes, Film Code 29363
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Le Bon, Christian Bale
Set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, The Promise follows a love triangle
between Michael, a brilliant medical student, the beautiful and sophisticated Ana, and
Chris – a renowned American journalist based in Paris.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
The Shack (M)
Available 13 September – Outdoor from 13 December 2017.
Drama/Fantasy, 133 Minutes.
Starring: Sam Worthington, Octavia Spencer, Tim McGraw
A grieving man receives a mysterious, personal invitation to meet with God at a place
called “The Shack.“
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
Things To Come (M)
Available 6 September – Outdoor from 6 December 2017
Drama, Rated M, 102 Minutes, Film Code TBC
Starring: Isabelle Huppert, André Marcon, Roman Kolinka
*** In French with English subtitles ***
A philosophy teacher soldiers through the death of her mother, getting fired from her job, and dealing with a husband who is cheating on her.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
Viceroy’s House (PG)
Available 20 September – Outdoor from 20 December 2017.
Drama/History, 106 Minutes.
Starring: Gillian Anderson, Michael Gambon, Hugh Bonneville
The final Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, is tasked with overseeing the transition of
British India to independence, but meets with conflict as different sides clash in the face of monumental change.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
Whiteley (M)
Available 13 September – Outdoor from 13 December 2017.
Documentary, 94 Minutes.
Featuring: Jack Barns, Andrew Blaikie, Sebastian Craig
*** AUSTRALIAN ***
A visual journey into the life and legacy of one of Australia’s most celebrated artists,
Brett Whiteley.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
Whitney – Can I Be Me (M)
Available 6 September – Outdoor from 6 December 2017.
Documentary/Music, 105 Minutes.
Featuring: Whitney Houston, Bobbi Kristina Brown, Bobby Brown
Tells the story of Whitney Houston’s extraordinary life and tragic death.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
Weiner-Dog (M)
Available 6 September – Outdoor from 6 December 2017.
Comedy/Drama, 84 Minutes.
Starring: Greta Gerwig, Keaton Nigel Cooke, Tracy Letts
A dachshund passes from oddball owner to oddball owner, whose radically dysfunctional lives are all impacted by the pooch.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.
Wonder Woman (M)
Available 20 September – Outdoor from 20 December 2017.
Action/Adventure/Fantasy, 141 Minutes.
Starring: Gal Gadot, Robin Wright, Chris Pine
Before she was Wonder Woman she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained warrior.When a pilot crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, she leaves home to fight a war to end all wars, discovering her full powers and true destiny.
See ratings, reviews and trailer on Letterboxd.