Life (2017)

Six of the smartest people in orbit are sealed in a space station with a brand new life form, and every decision they make would get them fired from a pet store. That’s Life: Alien with nicer lighting and worse instincts. The opening is great, one long floating shot through the station as the crew catches a Mars probe, with Ryan Reynolds cracking jokes in zero gravity. Calvin starts out as a tiny, curious, see-through thing, almost cute, and the early lab scenes have real tension. Once it grows, it turns into a slippery CGI starfish that can somehow get wherever the plot needs it to. Jake Gyllenhaal and Rebecca Ferguson are solid, but their characters are mostly job titles. Hiroyuki Sanada gives the crew its only real backstory. It made $100.5 million worldwide on a reported $58M. A 5.0 because the setup is tight and the people are dumber than the alien. $217.25 says you seal a leftovers container tonight and press the lid down one extra time, just in case.

What works: The opening single take is gorgeous, and the early lab scenes build real dread before Calvin gets big.

What doesn’t: The crew makes one dumb call after another, and once Calvin grows it becomes a generic CGI monster with no clear rules.

Who it’s for: Fans of Alien and Gravity who want a lean, gloomy space thriller for a Friday night.