High Life is an interesting beast. This is my introduction to Claire Denis, but has familiar faces starring, including lead man Robert Pattinson, and, much to my surprise, a performance from Andre 3000 of Outkast fame. This is an ambient piece of work that doesn't have a clear plot, but by the end of the film, the viewer is left with something.

As Robert Pattinson's Monte hurtles through space, there is minimal exposition to be found. He's on a ship that was originally manned entirely by death row inmates sent to outer space for science's sake. They find themselves traveling towards a black hole with the intention of finding a way to harness the energy there. They eventually come to terms with the fact that they aren't meant to return.

Juliette Binoche's sex- and reproduction-crazed Dr. Dibs acts as the villain of sorts. She offers the inmates a chemical fix in return for their sexual fluids, which she uses to try and impregnate the women on the ship. She seems to test the people on the ship as they reach their limits, breaking against their fellow passengers.

With the entire crew, aside from Monte and his baby daughter Willow, dead at the beginning -- with an awesome title card shot where the bodies floating through space, the atmosphere is grim. There's a certain inevitability throughout the film. With multiple scenes where the black hole takes center stage, the inevitability of a demise (especially that of Monte, etc.) is driven home. There's a choice to be made.

Parts of High Life are a little too bizarre for me. It's not bad, and I actually really enjoyed this. The second and third act are phenomenal, even though the first act does take a little while to get moving. Once the flashbacks begin, the story gains speed and remains interesting throughout. I hope it isn't heresy to say that this felt like Nolan's Interstellar with elements of sexuality a la Lars Von Trier. This definitely won't resonate with everyone, but why not find out for yourself?

3.5/5