Spaceman (3.5*): Spaced-out Drama With An Eight-Legged Friend.

A One Mann’s Movies review of “Spaceman” (2024).

One Mann’s Movies Rating:

Plot Summary:

6 months into a solo mission to the edge of the solar system, Czech cosmonaut Jakub Prochazka (Adam Sandler) is investigating a mysterious dust cloud nicknamed Chopra. Struggling with his mental health and the lack of communication with his wife Lenka (Carey Mulligan), he is apparently joined in his capsule by an enormous talking spider (voiced by Paul Dano).

Certification:

UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong language”. But note that Arachnophobes will also struggle with this one!)

Talent:

Starring: Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan, Paul Dano, Isabella Rossellini, Kunal Nayyar.

Directed by: Johan Renck.

Written by: Jaroslav Kalfar & Colby Day.

Running Time: 1h 47m.

Not trying to take the piss for once. Adam Sadler as the Czech cosmonaut Jakub. (Source: Netflix).

“Spaceman” Review:

Positives:

• Adam Sandler gives an excellent dramatic performance. (It almost – ALMOST – allows you to forget about some of his truly awful comedy performances like “Jack and Jill”.) Carey Mulligan also delivers a fine performance as the stressed wife and expectant mother and in her flashback scenes she looks utterly gorgeous.
• The film successfully sets you on edge. Is Jakub hallucinating? Is the creature real? There are strong resonances here with the high-concept psychological space-thriller “Solaris”: either the original 1972 Andrei Tarkovsky classic or the – still good – Steven Soderbergh 2002 remake and starring (my mate!) George Clooney. With its “near Jupiter” references and its trippy finale, “there are”Spaceman” also gives a nod to the grand-daddy of all space mystery films “2001: A Space Odyssey”.
• There are some intriguing touches to the script. I loved the fact that the super-powers racing to the space prize here were the Czech Republic and South Korea: its like an alternative universe. The way in which the Czech mission is funded through advertisers is cute: Jakub has to say the most cheesy commercial lines to camera before he does anything, sometimes under the most stressful of conditions (e.g. “Antiquease – the official nausea medicine of the Chopra mission”)
• It’s an impressively produced film, with all the zero gravity work being done by Sandler on wires (rather than the Boeing KC-135 ”Vomit Comet’ approach used by “Apollo 13”). That must have been really painful and uncomfortable for the actor.
• There’s an atmospheric score by Max Richter that is simply superb.

Negatives:

• I loved the first two reels of this more than the Chopra-encounter finale. In particular, the ‘issue’ with Hanus feels tacked onto the story and unnecessary to the general arc of redemption that Jakub is on.
• I’m sorry, but when Jakub and Commissioner Tuma (Isabella Rossellini) engage in a real-time conversation at the start of the movie, my science brain said “Nope, I’m out”. As if someone points that out to them during filming, there is a reference to ‘Czech Connect’ being the “Faster Than The Speed of Light Phone”. Yeah… nice try, but I’d still out!

Easy to fall in love with. Carey Mulligan plays Lenka, in happier times. (Source: Netflix).

Triggers

Arachnophobics will clearly have trouble with this one…. that goes without saying. There is also a theme of miscarriage reflected in the film that some viewers may be disturbed by.

Summary Thoughts on “Spaceman”

This was a film I watched last month as an ‘ironing film’ (i.e. one I just have on in the background while I do the ironing). I wasn’t very impressed (2.5 stars) and never got to write it up. The problem is that it is NOT an ironing film. It is a film that demands you to really stop doing anything else and watch it intently to fully appreciate it. Which is what I just did and I appreciated it a whole lot more. It has a few rough edges. But it is certainly worthy of a watch. “Spaceman” is currently streaming on Netflix.

Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)

Trailer for “Spaceman”:

The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNZ0xKaCdus .

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