194. High Life; movie review

HIGH LIFE
Cert 18
113 mins
BBFC advice: Contains sexual violence, strong sexual detail

It occurs to me that the vast majority of sci-fi movies are weird. And Claire Denis' High Life is no exception.
But I suppose that a movie about a floating prison in which there are only inmates and no warders was always likely to be a tad off the wall.
The opening of High Life sees Twilight heart-throb Robert Pattinson seemingly alone in space with a baby.
The camera lingers rather too long as he goes about his day-to-day, making sure the ship is functioning while looking after himself and the infant.
And then there are flashbacks to when there were more people on the ship (although I couldn't fathom why the authorities went to such phenomenal expense just to send a dozen or so into space).
A time is recalled when the prisoners worked together for the common good and had to report daily to an outside authority which decided whether their life-support systems should continue.
Juliette Binoche portrays the ship's doctor who isn't quite what she seems while Mia Goth is an angry former crack addict.
Thus, we have to work out who had the baby and why Pattinson's character is now alone with her.
As the film progresses, the historical narrative plays out, gradually revealing the answers and quite a lot of kinky sex.
However, that simple precis makes Denis' movie seem more straightforward than it is.
Actually, it often drifts into surreal dream-like sequences and for much of the time, very little is said, despite the number of volatile characters on board.
I am afraid it amounts to a movie that has bombed at the box office and I can see why.

Reasons to watch: If you are one of the army of Robert Pattinson fans
Reasons to avoid: It is quite weird

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: Yes
Overall rating: 4/10

Did you know? There are currently six people in space. Americans Anne McClain, Christina Koch and Nick Hague, Russians Oleg Kononenko, Alexey Ovchinin and Canadian David Saint-Jacques.

The final word. Claire Denis: "I couldn’t help but think of the obvious, that any woman would have found Robert Pattinson attracted, found him seductive. To detract from that and not depict the obvious would have damaged the film."

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