High Life (2018)

A group of death row and life criminals are sent on a space mission to extract energy from a black hole ... or so they are told. In reality, they are treated as guinea pigs by a doctor (Juliette Binoche) who is experimenting with reproduction and they can never return to Earth. Directed by Claire Denis, this is her first film in the English language. It's science fiction but it's a darker cerebral piece of sci-fi as opposed to the mainstream sci-fi of Christopher Nolan (INTERSTELLAR) and Ridley Scott (THE MARTIAN). The film isn't always told in a linear fashion and the pacing is methodical, perhaps too methodical for the multiplex crowd. I liked it but it's the kind of film that requires something from the viewer rather than being a passive participant. The film is anchored by a strong performance by Robert Pattinson as the film's chief protagonist, the sole member of the space travelers who refuses to participate in the sexual experiments. It didn't knock my socks off, I don't think it's a great film but it's provocative and attempts something different. With Mia Goth, Andre Benjamin (aka Andre 3000 of Outkast), Ewan Mitchell, Jessie Ross and Victor Banerjee.