An Unmissable Sci-Fi Horror Film Featuring Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds That Starfield Fans Cannot Resist

Article Key Points

Starfield players who enjoy horror elements will find similarities with the sci-fi movie Life, which explores the terrifying survival of a crew in outer space.

Calvin, a mysterious life form, demonstrates its malicious intentions when it crushes a scientist's hand, necessitating the crew's struggle for survival and their mission to prevent Calvin from reaching Earth.

Despite receiving varied reviews, some criticizing its unoriginality and similarities to past films, others acclaimed Life for its gripping suspense, compelling performances, and an exhilarating thriller journey. The film concludes with Calvin's arrival on Earth, alluding to the frightening prospect of its reign of terror persisting.

Starfield, the massive star-exploring adventure, offers an abundance of reasons to love it. From unique quests to thrilling battles against enemies, there is a plethora of exciting discoveries to be made. However, for fans who crave a darker side to Starfield, the sci-fi movie Life, helmed by Jake Gyllenhaal, might be just what they need.

Released in 2017, Life effectively used familiar sci-fi horror elements to weave a chilling narrative of survival in outer space. Some of Starfield's more eerie and easily overlooked side quests draw inspiration from these same unsettling ideas found in movies like Life and the Alien franchise. Notably, the film features a stellar cast, including the beloved comedian Ryan Reynolds, further adding to its appeal.

What Is Life About?

Following their journey to Mars, a crew of astronauts have successfully obtained intriguing samples that could potentially serve as humanity's earliest evidence of extraterrestrial life. Onboard the International Space Station, the crew accomplishes the remarkable feat of rejuvenating the enigmatic substance, unveiling its actuality as a living organism, subsequently named Calvin. While Starfield presents a multitude of alien entities to encounter, none compare to the malevolent nature of the diminutive and terrifying Calvin. Evidencing its malicious intentions, this otherworldly being causally crushes the hand of the dedicated scientist, Hugh, who was diligently studying it.

Calvin continually grows larger with each thing it consumes, leaving Rory, played by Ryan Reynolds, no choice but to confront the alien before the situation gets worse. Despite his efforts, Rory fails to fully defeat Calvin, leading to a shocking twist where the powerful alien creature kills him. This unexpected turn removes Ryan Reynolds from the film earlier than anticipated. Now, the remaining crew must find a way to survive, stop Calvin, and warn Earth of the imminent danger they face.

As expected, the crew's attempts to communicate with Earth are thwarted by Calvin, plunging them into repeated perilous circumstances. The cunning alien systematically eliminates each crew member, using brutal methods that no one would ever want to endure. At one point, Calvin even feeds on a crew member while they desperately attempt to halt its actions. Meanwhile, Earth makes an additional effort to protect itself by severing ties with the space station, but Calvin's hunger only intensifies. Eventually, only David and Miranda remain as the last survivors, tasked with confronting Calvin before it can return to Earth and consume everything in its path.

What Is Life’s Rotten Tomatoes Score?

While some will find the plot of Life incredibly gripping, others might find it too familiar. This may be one of the reasons why it received a somewhat average score on Rotten Tomatoes. Professional critics have rated Life as 68% fresh, while general audiences have been less impressed with a rating of 54%. The film has received praise from critics for its tension and the actors' performances, but some also feel that the twists in the movie were too predictable.

Ryan Reynolds, unlike some critics, actually enjoyed the twists in Life. In an interview with USAToday, he discussed his reaction to Rory's death:

I enjoyed the (twist). It's refreshing for films to present unexpected scenarios.

For those who don't appreciate it as much, Life is often compared to Alien, lacking the defining elements that make the latter a classic. Other criticisms include a lack of true horror atmosphere, underdeveloped characters (despite the actors' strong performances), and a somewhat ambiguous creature. However, despite these drawbacks, many reviewers find the film to be a gripping thriller, even though it relies on familiar tropes from previous movies.

How Does Life End?

Having exhausted all their efforts to eliminate Calvin, David and Miranda find themselves in a desperate situation with limited options. They are well aware of Calvin's astonishing resilience, creating the possibility for the extraterrestrial to survive the descent to Earth and wreak havoc globally. With no alternative in sight, they devise a daring plan that involves sacrificing themselves. David volunteers to confine himself in an escape pod along with Calvin, piloting it into the depths of space. Simultaneously, Miranda is tasked with returning to Earth in a separate escape pod to alert everyone about their arduous journey. As anticipated by those who have followed the film thus far, the situation swiftly takes a turn for the worse.

The audience witnesses the impact of debris on one of the escape pods, leading to confusion among them. While one pod falls back to Earth, the other successfully ventures into the infinite vastness of space. However, the biggest surprise in the film occurs when a group of fishermen on Earth discover one of the escape pods, specifically David's. Contrary to the plan's intended outcome, David unexpectedly lands on Earth accompanied by Calvin, while Miranda is launched into outer space with no possibility of returning home. As the movie draws to a close, the audience is left with the realization that Calvin's reign of terror has only just begun.

Although not as dark as the entirety of Starfield, Life offers a captivating and eerie experience for those who yearned for a more dystopian and unsettling tone in the game's side quests.

Starfield is a science fiction action role-playing game created by Bethesda Game Studios. In this game, players have the opportunity to interact with various factions, participate in intense combat, as well as personalize their main character and spacecraft. Additionally, players can embark on an exploration journey through a vast universe that encompasses more than 100 systems and over 1,000 planets.

Platform(s) PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series SReleased September 6, 2023Developer(s) BethesdaESRB M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs, Strong Language, Violence

Editor's P/S

As a fan of both sci-fi and horror movies, I found Life to be an entertaining and thrilling film. The movie effectively combines elements of science fiction and horror to create a sense of suspense and dread. The cast, including Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds, deliver strong performances, and the special effects are top-notch.

One of the things I enjoyed most about Life was the way it explored the dangers of space exploration. The film does a good job of conveying the sense of isolation and vulnerability that astronauts feel when they are far from Earth. The threat of Calvin, the alien life form, is a constant reminder of the dangers that lurk in the vastness of space.

I also appreciated the film's exploration of the human condition. The characters in Life are all flawed and complex, and they are forced to make difficult choices in order to survive. The film does a good job of showing how people react under pressure, and it raises some interesting questions about the nature of humanity.

Overall, I thought Life was a well-made and entertaining film. It is a must-see for fans of sci-fi and horror movies.