Terror in space

The new sci-fi film Life, about six astronauts' space nightmare, takes the second slot of the box-office charts in its opening weekend in China thanks to the film's theme as well as its star-studded cast. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Reflecting on the success of the Swedish film, Tan Fei, a film producer and critic, says that the combination of space exploration and a carnivorous monster has rarely been seen on Chinese screens, which makes the storyline interesting for viewers on the mainland.

"But the most eye-catching parts of the film are the scenes in the international space station," says Tan.

The film is about six astronauts' space nightmare, and a star-studded cast play the scientists.

Most of the actors are familiar faces to Chinese audiences, such as American actor Jake Gyllenhaal, known for Ang Lee's Oscar-winner Brokeback Mountain; Swedish actress Rebecca Ferguson, popular with Chinese due to Mission: Impossible－Rogue Nation; Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, lead star of Marvel's hit Deadpool; and Japanese Hiroyuki Sanada, familiar to the Chinese thanks to Chen Kaige's 2005 fantasy The Promise.

In the film, the plot takes off with the six scientists' discovering of life on Mars. But the single-cell organism, which looks like a transparent starfish, quickly grows up and starts to hunt humans.