LIFE tells the story of the six-member crew of the International Space Station that is on the cutting edge of one of the most important discoveries in human history: the first evidence of extraterrestrial life on Mars. As the crew begins to conduct research, their methods end up having unintended consequences and the life form proves more intelligent than anyone ever expected.

• Directed by: Daniel Espinosa
  
• Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ariyon Bakare, Olga Dihovichnaya

'LIFE' on the space station: Stars, director talk about recreating ISS in sci-fi thriller

Daniel Espinosa believes NASA might forbid his new movie "LIFE" — which takes place on board the International Space Station — from being screened by the astronauts living aboard the real orbital outpost.

"I think it would give them a bit of nightmares!" the director said. "I would love that to happen, though."

'LIFE' imitating life off Earth: Space Station history easter eggs in sci-fi thriller

In space, everyone can see your homages.

"LIFE," Sony Pictures' new science fiction thriller featuring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds, has been described as a modern day "Alien" set on board the International Space Station. The movie, which opened in theaters on Friday (March 24), follows a space crew as they encounter an emerging life form, not unlike the basic plot of the 1979 Ridley Scott classic.

And that's not by accident.

• Regal Cinemas is giving away a cast-signed movie poster to one of its followers on Twitter who retweets this tweet.

• Cinemark Theatres is offering cast-signed movie posters to those who redeem their Cinemark Connections points.

• ArcLight Cinemas‏ is giving away a prize pack, including LIFE-branded astronaut ice cream and a LIFE t-shirt to a follower on Twitter who retweets this tweet.

Just saw the movie Life set on the International Space Station. Yikes! Glad that didn't happen while I was there. The zero-G was very well done, however.

It was pretty good. The space station is smaller than the one in the movie, but some of it looked realistic.

I was entertained. But I have a different perspective and was looking for different things than most people.

One word? "Meh."

It’s a very scary and creepy movie (I’m normally no fan of horror as a genre) but they make all the standard mistakes that most space movie do. They have the Commander making an EVA (and taking about 10 minutes to suit up, without all the pre-breathing you actually have to do), they’re very formal with how they interact, and a JAXA astronaut has a beard. They’re also wearing flight suits that look like a mix between the T-38 Nomex ones and the brown suits from the Skylab era. No mention of Houston is ever made, instead it’s referred to as “control.” They also do the old trope of “Nobody on the ground has a clue what’s happening here, but they’re going to kill us anyway” halfway through the film, as if Houston would have a clue with the communications down (of course that happens).

The alien being sure is different, as it looks like a cross between a starfish and an octopus. At first it simply wants to live any way it can, but eventually I swear it gets downright personal. It’s not a bad movie, but it’ll never be in the same level as the original, “Alien” movie from 1979.

Of course, without knowing that, most of your points are valid.

And just to point out, there is nothing unusual about a commander doing an EVA. For example, Expedition 50 commander Shane Kimbrough performed three. (As for pre-breathing, if I recall correctly they do acknowledge it as a step being skipped, so there's that).

I saw the film with a physiologist who works with space station science daily. She was pleasantly surprised with how much the film gets right about life on the space station.