Cinephile No. 780 "High Life"
Recommendation: 1/5 Stars, SKIP
Plot: “A father and his daughter struggle to survive in deep space where they live in isolation.” -IMDB
Review: If you see 60-70 movies in a theater every year like I do, you are bound to run into a weekend where there isn’t anything playing that excites you. For me, since I go to the movies so religiously, this reality forces me to dig for indie films which often get lost in pile. More often than not, I find gems that excite and demand to be seen. Without a doubt, I also find films like “High Life” starring Robert Pattison that annoy and frustrate me from the very beginning. This film begins with a screaming baby and Pattison floating through space onboard a ship with other passengers. The blood-curdling screams end up being the least bothersome thing about this film.
“High Life” is Robert Pattison’s “Cast Away” moment. It was supposed to show his ability to command the screen. Instead, we are introduced to art that annoys that should have never been allowed to escape an enclave of some museum gallery space. Instead, this story about outcast saviors for science drags you painfully through disconnected scenes forcing you to meet underdeveloped characters along the way. This isn’t a film. It barely registers as a dream that you would awaken from in a fury of confusion.
From here, most of the film searches for a plot, but can’t find it in the depths of space as time marches forward and our characters begin to age. Halfway through this movie, you will discover that it is devoid of a point and will begin an inner monologue with yourself about the time you’ve invested in this thing so far. Should you walk out? I watched this film with about 15 other people. Half of them answered they had had enough. Yet, in the name of this review, I trudged forward.
I love movies that challenge an audience like “The Fountain” or “Tree of Life.” I think how this movie uses silence, meetings between people and the prospect of an escape is powerful. I am not looking to be spoon-fed. I am looking for direction, something to cling to, and proper character development. Beyond that, I am more than willing to put in the work. This movie doesn’t do that which is why I suggest you skip it at all costs.
Be good to each other,
-Nathan
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