A primal film about love and intimacy, suffused with anguished memories of a lost Earth, High Life is a visionary achievement from director Claire Denis (Beau Travail, White Material, Let the Sunshine In).
Hurtling toward a black hole, a spaceship staffed by prisoners with nothing left to lose is on a risky mission to find a new energy source. At first, Monte (Robert Pattinson) is the only crew member awake, and he rigorously tends to the computer and life support system to keep everyone alive. He is also caring for a baby daughter who was born on board — an anomaly that is just the first sign of the chaos to come. As Monte’s self discipline slips, the crew awakens and conflicts erupt. Working with the brilliant Juliette Binoche and supported by a cast that includes André Benjamin and Mia Goth, master filmmaker Claire Denis guides her actors into daring new territory. Some scenes in High Life will shock, but Denis pushes her science fiction into realms that, at times, recall Stanley Kubrick and Andrei Tarkovsky while propelling us forward with a fearless curiosity that is all her own.
(2018 / UK, France, Germany, Poland, USA / Written & Directed by Claire Denis)
R / 1 hr 53 mins.
