‘LIFE’ is going to be THE alien movie of the year

Courtney Howard // Film Critic

I know. I know. That is a bold statement I’ve made above. However, I’m committing to it. Yes, I know director Ridley Scott has ALIEN: COVENANT coming out on May 19 this year. But I’m going out on a ledge, balancing precariously as I say director Daniel Espinosa’s LIFE will be the alien film of the year.

The teaser trailers have been keeping a certain creature element hidden in the shadows, making narrative appear to have more in common with John Carpenter’s THE THING. That said, this new “Big Game Day” spot actually shows the alien lifeform these astronauts bring onto their ship.

Did you catch it? No? Here’s a screengrab.

What. The. Actual. Frick. Is. That?!  #NOPE

Clearly inspired by films like ALIEN, THE THING (exploring similar character dynamics), GRAVITY, or any other space horror film, LIFE looks like it’s gonna terrify the living sh*t out of us – maybe even more than Scott’s film. LIFE stars Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhaal and Rebecca Ferguson and is written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (the duo who brought you genre game changers ZOMBIELAND and DEADPOOL).

Now obviously you can see both movies. The thing is what’s wrong with a little friendly competition? I’m betting that there will be a clear victor and it may not be the one with the word “alien” in its name. It’s true that in space no one can hear you scream, though in the theater playing LIFE, everyone’s gonna hear you.

LIFE opens on March 24.