For what it is (which is essentially THE THING if it was on a space station), LIFE is very watchable. The characters are of the stock variety and you can plainly see what order they are going to die horribly in, but on a technical level the film quite often impresses. The viewer, like the unfortunate crew, is suspended in uneasy zero-G, helplessly hanging directly in front of the shifting, translucent threat that’s about to do something horrible to you . The design of deadly alien life form “Calvin” is pleasingly unconventional, looking and acting more like a jellyfish-Venus fly trap hybrid than a recognisable animal, and you’ve got to give credit to the filmmakers for acknowledging that if we ever do encounter intelligent alien life then we’re pretty screwed. Unique beastie aside, don’t sit down to this expecting anything revolutionary, but as a diverting space-thriller Life is far from lifeless. SSP