John Rosman’s New Life takes the apocalyptic thriller template, reshapes it, and takes it in a different direction than you’d expect. Is that enough to keep it running?
The end result is probably a tad too predictable, but writer and director Rosman makes a smart move by dropping us into the story with no context and a whole lot of ambiguity. Needless to say, this is one of those movies that works best when the viewer goes in with minimal knowledge of what’s happening beforehand.
We join the story as a blood-splattered woman (Hayley Erin) hurriedly ransacks a seemingly empty house before armed pursuers enter. She escapes through a window, and it’s clear she’s on the run. But from who and what for are still the great unknown.
The first half of New Life pieces this together with both flashbacks and information drips from the agent (Sonya Walger) tasked with pursuing her. The woman on the run is revealed to be Jessica Murdock. The lion’s share of the runtime is focused on her and the people she encounters on her journey North.
However, both main characters share a unifying sense of finality the closer their paths come to crossing. By the time we know the truth of their underlying issues, the outcome is inevitable. The issue here is that New Life loses a lot of steam at that point. It’s relying on empathy and emotion to drive home the pointless cruelty of the world for these two women. Unfortunately, how it delivers that feels a bit light and repetitive.
The conclusion deserves more emotional weight than it actually has. For me, it is difficult to make a meaningful connection between Jessica and her pursuer, Elsa. The obvious distance between them does provide one reason. However, on a thematic level, it doesn’t manage to weave their stories together. I’d almost have preferred it if the narrative balance had been massively tipped in favor of one of Jessica or Elsa. Instead, it struggles to pull in two directions.
New Life review: Standout performances lift a second-half slump
That issue doesn’t stop Walger and Erin’s performances from standing out, though. While the writing isn’t always in their favor, they both portray seemingly doomed characters earnestly. Ultimately, their frustrations and fears drive the characters and that much comes through from Walger and Erin.
Again, at the halfway mark, events conspire to drag things down. Things shift from tense thriller to gooey outbreak movie, and it’s clear Rosman is better equipped for the former. The film is best in its mystery and early ambiguity, perhaps tellingly when it’s still grounded in reality. Rosman pushes things a touch too far into fantasy in that second half. And it doesn’t quite gel with the story being told to that point.
While that’s disappointing, it’s only because Rosman structures that first 40 minutes with such confidence. Unburdened by knowledge, the pursuit is tense and gripping. I do think that what transpires after that is far from needless. The talent for structure is clearly there. Perhaps with a bit of fine-tuning, New Life would have kept chugging along to its conclusion in a far more satisfying manner.
Score: 6/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 6 equates to ”Decent”. It fails to reach its full potential and is a run-of-the-mill experience.
Screener provided for review.
New Life is out now on digital platforms.
