Review: High Life

PLOT: A man and his daughter try and survive while they are aimlessly drifting on a mysterious craft through outer space.

REVIEW: At the center of the new lo-fi science fiction drama HIGH LIFE, is the relationship between a father and daughter. The film opens spending quite a bit of time giving us a look inside the world of a single dad, one that happens to be stranded in the middle of the furtherest reaches of the great beyond. Yet it's only part of the story. This odd feature directed by Claire Denis offers up a talented cast, a unique story and even a surprisingly frank look at sexuality, yet it is so cold and surreal that it was at times challenging to connect to. In fact, looking back at the experience, I find myself respecting this bizarre tale even if it wasn’t a pleasant watch – in fact, for this viewer, it was far from an enjoyable experience. The film stars Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, André Benjamin, Mia Goth, and more; each actor delivering an intriguing performance in this exceptionally slow and occasionally meandering tale.

When we meet Monte (Pattinson), he is the only one on a space station, aside from his baby girl. All we know is that a man and his child are stuck in the middle of outer space on some strange mission. However, we soon learn that he was part of an experiment involving convicts being sent into deep space. After he and his daughter Willow’s introduction, we then learn what happened, why he was there and how Willow come to be. The second part gives a bit of an explanation as to how and why he and his baby were able to survive, and the people who were on board the craft with him. This includes Dr. Dibs (Binoche), as well as a few other prisoners who agreed to this impossible journey. However, it seems that none of those aboard were truly prepared for what would happen as they found themselves in the darkest corners of space.

Before I walked into HIGH LIFE, I had no idea what to expect having not watched the trailer. However, if you have watched it, it will give you a basic sense of the concept and give the impression that this is a far more intense and thrilling feature than it is in actuality. In fact, this sci-fi drama is a slow moving examination of the human condition. What happens when you lock a group of convicts together? While this approach is at times unusual and original, it sometimes borders on the absurd and the pretentious. So much so that it can be hard to feel any kind of emotion for the participants involved. It certainly doesn’t help that, aside from Pattinson and his daughter, we really only get a patchwork of an idea who and what these characters were before. Ultimately, it was difficult to find any real empathy for any of the people he is surrounded by.

Claire Denis has certainly made a very specific and original film. The focus on the characters certainly doesn’t take away from the impressive style that she brings to this futuristic tale. The director doesn’t shy away from some of the darker elements that linger deep inside man’s subconscious. One sequence involving an attempted rape is utterly disturbing to watch, yet it does so in an unusually realistic way. It is brutal and pathetic, as well as one of the few truly violent images in the film On the other end of the spectrum, one scene features Binoche pleasuring herself in a surprisingly explicit way. It is one of the most unflinchingly and fearlessly intense scenes of masterbation that you are likely to see in a mainstream film. Perhaps the best thing I can say about HIGH LIFE is that it is unapologetically fearless when it comes to exploring the many layers of the human experience.

Much of this seems complimentary, and it is. However, it's nearly impossible to fully praise this work. While certainly respectable for the chances it takes and the fascinating story it tries to tell, the structure of the film didn’t quite work. While it's easy to connect to the father struggling to raise a daughter, the other characters don’t have the same interest. We're given the basic idea of what Dr. Dibs’ trauma is, as well as the rest of the passengers, but it’s not nearly enough. Ultimately, as good as the performances are, it’s nearly impossible to really gravitate to the rest of the crew and their struggles, or what they add. While it may feel like a character study at times, this strange tale didn’t quite give the supporting players enough to truly be invested in their plight.

HIGH LIFE is at times intriguing, but alas it tends to feel a bit wrapped up in itself too tightly. It is nearly impossible to connect with the characters, and the slow pace makes for an occasionally less than compelling watch. Yet stepping away from the film it was easy to remember the brave choices that Denis made. The frank sexuality and the focus on a man trying to raise his daughter all bring a unique beauty to this weird world. In fact, I’d wager that it’s something that would possibly be worth a revisit on home video. At times, this sci-fi drama had shades of a Terrance Malick film in the way the dialogue is spoken and just how Denis creates a picture of life in space. Profound, powerful, problematic and pretentious, and yet not always stunning to watch. If you want to take the dive, I wouldn’t blame you. However, if you aren’t fans of heavily cerebral science fiction, you are not likely to engage in this journey on any level.