'Life' Movie Brings Terrifying Space Thrills (Photo Gallery)

Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson and Ryan Reynolds star as space station astronauts in “Life.”

Jake Gyllenhaal plays the space station’s medical doctor and most experienced astronaut, David Jordan, who has spent more than 473 days at the International Space Station.

Ryan Reynolds, starring as mission specialist Rory Adams, floats in the Cupola window at the International Space Station.

Ariyon Bakare stars as Hugh Derry, a British scientist tasked with finding evidence for life on Mars.

A sample return mission delivers the first proof of life on Mars.

The glove box at the ISS serves as a firewall against any possible contamination from the Mars sample.

Derry discovers a single-cell organism in the sample from Mars. When the sample grows larger and starts to look more alive, high school students back on Earth compete to give it a name. And so the cute little Martian was dubbed Calvin.

Calvin seems harmless at first, wiggling in a petri dish and responding to Derry’s touch. (Spoiler alert: The cuteness doesn’t last long!)

Calvin quickly evolves into a more complex creature. “Every cell is an eye cell, a muscle cell, a nerve cell, and as such, the creature is very, very adaptable.” screenwriter Rhett Reese said in a statement.

As Calvin gets bigger and bigger, the astronauts begin to regret ever bringing that darn Mars sample to the space station.

Dr. Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal) shuts the door in Rory’s face after Calvin breaks out of the glove box.

While attempting to confine the bloodthirsty Martian, Rory Adams (Ryan Reynolds) gets separated from his crew and is trapped in the lab with Calvin.

As the space station astronauts attempt to kill the evil alien from Mars, the entire space station is demolished.

Rory Adams (Ryan Reynolds) makes the brave — and somewhat stupid — decision to fight the alien with fire.

Rory Adams (Ryan Reynolds) floats by the astronauts’ sleeping pods.

Rebecca Ferguson stars as Miranda North, a microbiologist from the Centers for Disease Control who is tasked with keeping the ISS crew safe from possible contamination by the sample return mission from Mars.

The astronauts embark on some dangerous impromptu EVAs while battling Calvin.

The astronauts embark on some dangerous impromptu EVAs while battling Calvin.

Rory Adams (Ryan Reynolds) suits up for an EVA.

Rory Adams (Ryan Reynolds) suits up for an EVA.

All the commotion brought on by Calvin’s rampage at the ISS causes it to deorbit, meaning that the orbiting lab is slowly falling down to Earth.

David Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Miranda North (Rebecca Ferguson) float weightlessly through a corridor of the International Space Station.

David Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal) uses an oxygen candle to lure the alien as part of a plan to get rid of it once and for all.

Miranda North (Rebecca Ferguson) uses an oxygen candle to breathe while escaping the space station in a Soyuz capsule.

The remaining astronauts escape the crumbling space station in Soyuz crew capsules … but where is Calvin? You’ll have to watch the movie to find out.

The official movie poster for “Life” suggests that maybe the search for life on Mars isn’t such a great idea after all.