Scientists on the International Space Station await the first ever soil sample from Mars and on examination find a single cell organism that proves the existence of life beyond our planet. Unfortunately, for the crew of six on board, this is not going to end well for them.

This science fiction horror film owes everything it is to films such as Alien and The Thing. And whilst it is never as good as those, it is fast paced and interesting enough to be a really good watch. An alien wiping a crew out one by one – check. A harsh unlivable environment – check. A dormant alien ready to adapt and survive – check. This may all sound a little rote, but actually, this film takes those tropes and uses them as a shorthand to make a very enjoyable and tense film.

The biggest negative is that unlike the films mentioned, it does not take the time to introduce us properly to our crew. But with the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal able to make a children’s book seem creepy and dark and with an intriguing alien that seems somewhere between spider and squid it makes it work.