Lifeforce (1985)
Average Rating: 5.5/10
Reviews Counted: 16
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 6
No consensus yet.
Release Date: Jun 21, 1985 Limited
liked it
Average Rating: 3/5
User Ratings: 9,015
Movie Info
Director Tobe Hooper adapts Colin Wilson's edgy novel The Space Vampires in this in this horror/sci-fi epic with a cult following. The story concerns a joint British-American space probe of Hailey's Comet. Inside the comet, the astronauts, headed by Carlsen (Steve Railsback), find a spaceship that contains the dead bodies of several aliens, along with the naked bodies of three human-like creatures in suspended animation. They bring the aliens aboard the ship for examination, but the specimens
Jun 21, 1985 Limited
May 26, 1998
TriStar Pictures
Cast
-
Steve Railsback
Commander Tom Carlsen -
Peter Firth
Inspector Caine -
Frank Finlay
Inspector Fallada -
Mathilda May
Space Girl -
Patrick Stewart
Dr. Armstrong -
Michael Gothard
Bukovsky -
Nicholas Ball
Derebridge -
Aubrey Morris
Sir Percy -
Nancy Paul
Ellen -
John Hallam
Lawson -
Christopher Barr
Trajectory Officer -
Patrick Connor
Fatherly Guard -
Paul Cooper
Guard -
David English
Crew -
Edward Evans
Doctor -
Julian Firth
Boy in Park -
Michael Fitzpatrick
2nd N.A.S.A. Officer -
John Forbes-Robertson
Minister -
John Golightly
Colonel -
Emma Jacobs
Crew -
Chris Jagger
Vampire -
Sydney Kean
Brash Guard -
John Keegan
Guard -
Bill Malin
Vampire -
Ken Parry
Sykes -
Peter Porteous
Prime Minister -
Carl Rigg
Radar Technician -
Katherine Schofield
Prime Minister's Secret... -
Burnell Tucker
N.A.S.A. Man -
John Woodnut
Metallurgist -
Jerome Willis
Pathologist -
Thom Booker
1st N.A.S.A. Officer -
Rupert Baker
Soldier -
David Beckett
Soldier -
Derek Benfield
Physician -
Milton Cadman
Soldier -
Brian Carroll
Crew -
Nicholas Donnelly
Police Inspector -
John Edmunds
BBC Commentator -
Geoffrey Frederick
Communications Officer -
Gary Hildreth
Police Surgeon -
Owen Holder
1st Scientist -
William Lindsay
Colonel's Aide -
Peter Lovstrom
Boy in Park -
Elizabeth Morton
Radar Technician -
Richard Oldfield
Mission Leader -
-
Jamie Roberts
Rawlings -
Richard Sharpe
Rescue Ship Crewman -
Russell Sommers
Navigation Officer -
Chris Sullivan
Kelly -
Haydn Wood
Helicopter Pilot -
Sydney Livingstone
Ned Price -
ADVERTISEMENT
Lifeforce Trailer & Photos
All Critics (19) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (10) | Rotten (6) | DVD (3)
How often do you find a sci-fi/horror hybrid that dares to walk the high wire? Not often enough, I think. For that reason alone, Lifeforce deserves to be rediscovered.
The UK version is 15 minutes longer and makes this bizarre but lovable movie a bit more interesting.
Lifeforce is a pretty curious specimen in its own right. Its sci-fi/horror concept is epic in scale and metaphysical reach, but the casting is catchpenny...
Far from the nonsensical, failed-blockbuster of its maudit reputation, the movie is a ravishing renewal of the genre hollowed out by Star Wars
Frequently outlandish and far from profound, it's nonetheless a box-office bomb that, like its horror-maestro director, deserved quite a bit better.
Superior sci-fi horror.
Special effects (and plot) run amok
An interesting premise quickly degenerates into a bad zombie flick that doesn't follow its own rules.
Quite possibly the silliest horror movie ever made. On the other hand, you get to see Patrick Stewart kiss a man full on the mouth.
A better than average space vampire flick.
Audience Reviews for Lifeforce
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
-
- Inspector Fallada: Death, Colonel Caine, correct. Thanatology's the name for it. Death for you, Colonel, is a bureaucratic problem. Who did it. When, why did they do it. A problem to be solved, am I correct?
Discussion Forum
There are no discussion threads for Lifeforce yet.
What's Hot On RT
Pictures from a zombie nation
Woody Allen in San Francisco
See the Desolation of Smaug trailer!
Where does This Is the End rank?
Featured on RT
- Video Interviews with Cast & Crew of Monsters University 0
- Digital Multiplex: 21 & Over, Quartet, and More 1
- RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Jack the Giant Slayer and Quartet 23
- Box Office Guru Wrapup: Man of Steel Sets June Record 101
- Weekly Ketchup: Man of Steel Sequel In the Works 198
- Five Favorite Films with Joss Whedon 128
- Bonus Footage of the Cast & Crew of Man of Steel 1
Top Headlines
Foreign Titles
- Lifeforce, l'Étoile du mal (FR)


"In a blink of an eye, the terror begins."
Lifeforce is the first Tobe Hooper film I haven't liked. Granted I have only seen four of his movies. But I loved the other three I have seen; Poltergeist, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Funhouse. Poltergeist and TCM are considered two elite films when it comes to the horror genre. But Lifeforce is borderline unwatchable. It's ridiculous but cool premise washes away after about 20 minutes and starts becoming a boring mix of vampires and zombies.
When the best part of a movie is a vampires body, then there's something really wrong with the movie. I hate to say it but when they put clothes on the girl is when I lost interest. There was something watchable about a naked girl walking slowly around and causing crazy stuff to happen that didn't translate well to that same girl walking around in clothes causing crazy stuff to happen.
Lifeforce is a bad sci-fi film. It's definitely not very memorable like Poltergeist or TCM, or even The Funhouse. It's not fun to watch and actually just keeps getting more and more boring as the movie goes on. It's not really worth a look unless you like bad horror movies a lot. But be aware that this movie doesn't fall into the so bad, it's good category of horror. It's just bad.