Spaceman (2024)
Directed by: Johan Renck
Premise: An astronaut (Adam Sandler) journeys to the edge of the solar system to investigate a mysterious mass of dust and particles. Along the way, the astronaut imagines a giant spider is in the spacecraft with him and they discuss his loneliness.
What Works: Spaceman is the latest in a series of impressively produced space exploration movies to be released over the past decade including Ad Astra, The Martian, Gravity, and Interstellar. This picture focuses on the isolation of an explorer and the personal consequences of leaving his beloved behind. In this case, Jakub, the lonely astronaut played by Adam Sandler, has fled his wife and unborn child. Jakub’s decision to accept the mission may very well be an expression of fear or restlessness but finally alone he recognizes his social needs. Much of Spaceman is a dialogue between Jakub and a giant spider named Hanuš. The filmmakers manage to make this premise cinematic. Jakub has various things to do around the spacecraft while conversing with Hanuš and there are some dramatic moments as they explore fear and purpose. Spaceman is an impressive production. Hanuš the giant spider is visually convincing and the decision to make this companion an arachnid, an animal that isn’t very emotive and inspires irrational fear in so many people, is a bold choice. The astral phenomenon that Jakub is sent to investigate is presented quite beautifully and the last twenty minutes of Spaceman have some extraordinary visuals. It’s a shame Spaceman will only be seen on Netflix. It would have looked great properly projected on a full-size theater screen.
What Doesn’t: The novelty of Spaceman is its one-man-show premise. Jakub is alone in the spacecraft; he is accompanied by the arachnid but viewers understand that the spider is a projection of Jakub’s fears. However, Spaceman occasionally cuts back to Earth for scenes with mission control and with Jakub’s estranged wife. This breaks the isolation that is so key to the film. Jakub is supposed to be a Czech astronaut but he’s played by Adam Sandler. Fortunately, Sandler does not try to do an accent but it’s a strange casting choice given the character’s background and the way it figures into the story. Spaceman is mostly a mediation on loneliness and connection; Jakub had to travel deep into the solar system to realize his social needs. It’s not a very profound epiphany and we’ve seen shades of this done more interestingly in 2001: A Space Odyssey, Ad Astra and the original Planet of the Apes. The end of the movie lays on the pathos appeal pretty thick with its emotional music and the requisite disappearance of the imaginary companion.
Disc extras: Available on Netflix.
Bottom Line: Spaceman has a lot of visually interesting things in it and the filmmakers touch some effective emotional buttons. But Spaceman also feels like a movie we’ve already seen and it’s not as profound as the filmmakers aspire to be.
Episode: #1015 (September 29, 2024)