Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
A race of space vampires arrives in London and infects the populace, commencing an apocalyptic descent into chaos.
Lifeforce is a gloriously unhinged hybrid of Quatermass, Dracula, and alien-invasion sci-fi that feels utterly singular — space vampires aboard Halley's Comet triggering a zombie apocalypse in London is a premise no other film has attempted with such wild conviction. Its novelty is genuine and high. The cinematography, helmed by Alan Hume with Cannon Films resources, delivers some striking imagery — the shrivelled husk victims, the sweeping spaceship interiors — though it's uneven. The plot, adapted from Colin Wilson's novel, has ambition and weird internal logic but lurches awkwardly in its middle act. Acting is a weak point: Steve Railsback is erratic and the supporting cast variable, though Patrick Stewart's brief turn is memorable. The ending commits to its apocalyptic vision with admirable audacity even if the execution is messy.