New Life (2023 film)

Last updated
New Life
Directed byJohn Rosman
Written byJohn Rosman
Produced byT. Justin Ross, Mike Marchlewski
StarringSonya Walger, Hayley Erin, Tony Amendola
CinematographyMark Evans
Distributed byBrainstorm Media
Release dates
  • August 8, 2023 (2023-08-08)(Fantasia International Film Festival)
  • May 3, 2024 (2024-05-03)(Limited theatrical release)
Running time
84 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

New Life is a 2023 American horror thriller film written and directed by John Rosman. The film stars Sonya Walger, Hayley Erin, and Tony Amendola. New Life premiered at the 27th Fantasia International Film Festival on August 8, 2023, and was released theatrically on May 3, 2024.

Contents

Plot

The story follows Elsa Gray (Sonya Walger), a fixer battling an ALS diagnosis, as she pursues Jessica Murdock (Hayley Erin), a young woman on the run, across the Pacific Northwest. Initially presented as a cat-and-mouse chase, the narrative evolves into a more significant existential threat as it is revealed that Jessica is carrying a mutated strain of the Ebola virus. This revelation recontextualizes the film's earlier events and raises the stakes as the characters grapple with themes of humanity, mortality, and trust.

Cast

Production

Principal photography took place in Oregon in 2022. [1]

Critical response

New Life has received a mostly positive critical response. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a Certified Fresh rating with 94% of 63 critic reviews, with the consensus stating "Breathing New Life to the genre, this excellently acted brooding horror thriller marks a propitious debut for John Rosman." [2] Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com wrote, "As the film's initial scope of Jessica and Elsa continues to zoom out, we suddenly all know the traumatic horror of 'New Life' all too well. And we feel for our hero to a depth that action-thrillers have never known. What a delight, what a discovery." [3] Marco Vito Oddo of Collider declared the film "fresh and innovative, presenting a mix that works so well that it’s a wonder no one ever tried to do something similar before." [4] Matt Donato of SlashFilm called it a "blistering multidimensional thriller that hits from all directions — the kind of debut filmmakers dream about." [5]

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References

  1. "John Rosman on 'New Life'" . Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  2. "New Life Rotten Tomatoes Score" . Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  3. "Fantasia 2023: New Life" . Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  4. "New Life Movie Review" . Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  5. "New Life Review: A Blistering Horror Mystery Packed With Tension" . Retrieved 2024-12-02.