(CNN) "Alien" established outer space as the ultimate "nowhere to run" haunted house 40 years ago, and "Gravity" more recently highlighted its still-harrowing if more mundane aspects. "Life" rather economically mashes up the two, producing a taut, suspenseful thriller that's more enjoyable the less you think about it. Their task includes experimenting on the microbes in space, seeking to expose any dangers, sensibly, before setting them loose on Earth." Jake Gyllenhaal and a wisecracking Ryan Reynolds provide the cast its marquee value, but as constructed, "Life" is a pretty egalitarian exercise. Rebecca Ferguson, Olga Dihovichnaya, Hiroyuki Sanada and Ariyon Bakare round out the company, whose relationships are at best marginally developed.

Source: CNN March 24, 2017 14:03 UTC