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The space-borne horror thriller "Life" won't make anyone forget Ridley Scott's "Alien" or John Carpenter's "The Thing," but it does offer some solid chills in zero gravity.

Six astronauts are living on the International Space Station, which has just retrieved a probe from Mars. The probe has fresh samples from the Martian surface, and it's only a matter of time before the lead scientist, British biologist Hugh Derry (Ariyon Bakare), finds a parameciumlike creature that proves to be the first life form discovered outside Earth.

The microscopic creature generates lots of excitement back on Earth and some fascination from the rest of the crew: Russian commander Ekaterina Golodvina (Olga Dihovichnaya), British doctor Miranda North (Rebecca Ferguson), Japanese engineer Sho Kendo (Hiroyuki Sanada) and the two Americans on board — engineer Rory Adams (Ryan Reynolds) and doctor David Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal), who at 16 months has been in space longer than any human ever.

As Derry continues to experiment with the new lifeform, the creature — dubbed Calvin — grows in its petri dish and exhibits the ability to adapt and survive any conditions. As it grows into a jellyfishlike tentacled beast, it shows its survival skills include defense and, worse for the crew, attack.

The screenplay, by "Deadpool" and "Zombieland" collaborators Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, follows with what we all know is coming: The humans scramble to save themselves as the creature picks them off, one by one. There's also the imperative to keep the creature from reaching Earth, where it could destroy all humanity.

It's a storyline that's easily picked apart in the aftermath, but in the moment, director Daniel Espinoza ("Safe House," "Child 44") squeezes a lot of tension and terror out of the familiar scenario. He also creates a seemingly plausible portrayal of life on the space station, and the effects of gory bloodshed in zero gravity, that adds some authentic atmospherics. (I'm sure Neil deGrasse Tyson could tear apart the science without working up a sweat, but for the layperson it looks cool.)

It also helps to have a strong cast giving their all, and the six main performers — particularly Ferguson ("The Girl on the Train") and Gyllenhaal — give "Life" the added boost a science-fiction horror tale like this needs to keep it in orbit.

Twitter: @moviecricket —

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'Life'

Astronauts discover life on Mars, and then try to keep it from killing them, in this solid science-fiction horror thriller.

Where • Theaters everywhere.

When • Opens Friday, March 24.

Rating • R for language throughout, some sci-fi violence and terror.

Running time • 104 minutes.