New Life is a horror/thriller about a woman on the run, Jessica,(Hayley Erin), for unknown reasons. She is pursued by Elsa(Sonya Walger) a government contractor recently diagnosed with MS.
Erin is decent as the lead but she struggles to really find an ease with the character and as a result its a bit murkily drawn. She's compelling but especially in contrast to Walger she is the less interesting of the two leads. Walger, as always, is stupendous. The presence she brings to the this almost single-handedly elevates it from micro-budget horror to something approaching legit cinema. The subplot regarding her MS and how she is dealing with it fortunately or unfortunately overshadows the main genre storyline with its emotional power. There's a scene where she is meeting with a caretaker and a woman with MS further along that is/will be easily one of the most poignant of the year.
The movie has an overcast, handheld, gritty look and feel. Its effective but although there is tension and the reveals when they come are intriging, ultimately the story at its core is a bit derivative. Elsa's character is full, Jessica's is thin. The cat-and-mouse element is restricted by the budget and as a result feels strained and isn't as effective as it could be. Overall a promising debut from John Rosman but in and of itself uneven.
Relatively standard genre fare elevated by a sublime Walger.
Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.
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