Review: High Life

Elisabetta Pulcini talks of her disappointment with film High Life

Elisabetta Pulcini
20th May 2019
Image: YouTube

‘High Life’ feels more like a gimmick than an actual movie. It is slow, pretentious and dull in its execution. Although the performances are good, they are not able to overcome the clumsy dialogue and overplayed themes. In fact, maybe the worst thing about this movie is that it is presented like a deep study of human sexuality, yet its unoriginal message does not deserve attention in the conversation it attempts to guide.

The main problem with the movie was that it struggles to engage with the audience, and transport them in the world it tried to create. Mostly, because not one character sparked any sort of emotion. I was left apathetic, observing these criminals without any traits that might resemble an actual human being. In this regard, the dialogue stood out as exceptionally bad. In fact, while viewers will be bored to tears by the unnatural lack of dialogue in the first part of the movie, they will be yearning for those silent scenes, as they cringe at the interactions between the characters.

High Life seems to prioritise the 'shock' factor, rather than actually telling a story.

A movie should not only present a theme, but use the story to create a compelling message. However, ‘High Life’ seems to prioritise the ‘shock’ factor, rather than actually telling a story. In addition, the movie underestimates the viewer by presenting drawn out graphic scenes, and expecting the viewer to be affected by them. Yet it fails to even do that, mostly because of the lack of empathy felt for the protagonists.

Lastly, the special effects are awkward in their execution. This contributes to a set that feels like a set, rather than a space ship, and sequences that feel outdated, rather than elevated.

This incredibly dull experience will bore the audience.

This movie throws a number of supposedly thought provoking themes at the screen, such as the relationship between power and sexuality. However, it never really delivers a message that is neither groundbreaking nor even sensible. Even more tragically, this incredibly dull experience will bore the audience, who will wish to be left out of the ‘conversation’ at all costs.

Rating: 1/5 stars

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AUTHOR: Elisabetta Pulcini
Film Editor 19/20 and Law (LLB) graduate. An Italian passionate about journalism and the law: always up for a debate. @ElisabettaPul

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