High Life

Difficult to do a non spoiler bit of text on this. How much do we really care about other people? Claire Denis' nihilistic sci-fi film is principality about morality, (de)humanization, social conscience and living in the now. But it's also about isolation, procreation, nature v nurture, carnal desires and incarceration. Early on, there is a conversation about taboos - the ending of the film certainly raises a few questions about that. There are even nods to sustainability and climate change. This film draws on influences of older films and is an ethereal, ambiguous experience. It is not an action based Sci-Fi thriller. There are elements of Tarkovsky throughout, particularly' Stalker' and 'Solaris'. The themes of dogs may represent loyalty or master and slave type relationship. Comparisons with 'Annihilation', '2001' and 'Arrival' might also be made. It's violent, ascerbic and at times distressing. But it also has a real beauty about it, owing mostly to some superb cinematography from Yorick Le Saux and Tomasz Naumiuk. Pattinson and Binoche are great, as they always are - but I thought Mia Goth stole the show as Boyse. This film will divide audiences but I thought it was an absolute gem. 8.6/10