Spaceman – An Existential Odyssee (Early Review)

Adam Sandler’s history in comedy goes without saying, however, he has proved time and time again that he has the range to tackle more serious films just as effectively. That being said, for whatever reason, he hasn’t been given many outlets to show it off though when he is given a proper one, he makes it count. When it comes to Spaceman, it is yet another opportunity for him and Sandler makes the most of it. That being said, it won’t be for everyone. A visual marvel, this slow burn existential sci-fi drama may seem like a lot on paper but those who can hone in on its resonant story and themes will be treated to an unusual yet surprisingly emotional watch. Asked to carry much of that emotion on his shoulders, Sandler is more than up to the task, delivering a career-best performance as a lonely astronaut in the deep reaches of space who is greeted by an otherworldly companion that takes him on a beautiful part introspective and part existential journey through what it truly means to be human. On a technical level, it is a shame that the film is a streaming release though nevertheless, its colorful palette and booming score only accentuate something unlike many others in recent memory.

As mentioned, Spaceman follows Jakub Prochazka (Sandler), an astronaut in the middle of a solo scientific mission in space for whom after 6 months to himself, begins to long for the life he left behind on Earth, including his marriage to his wife Lenka (Mulligan). Now on the edge of the solar system where no human has ever gone before, Jakub had always sets his sights on the next big discovery, looking up to the sky in search of what was out there. Fueled by that next big discovery, there was no hesitation once the next mission arrived. Rigorously tested both physically and mentally, Jakub remained laser focused, reporting his progress to Peter (Kunal Nayyar) from mission control back on Earth. Over time, that solitude looked to take its toll as that laser focus began to wain as thoughts about Lenka and his life back on Earth slowly trickled in, leaving the contingent back on Earth concerned about the fate of the mission. With that, the focus of mission control was on the mission as this development would create plenty of behind-the-scenes drama as they worked to keep Jakub in check and the mission back on track.

Little did Jakub know, he was sharing his ship with an otherworldly stowaway that greeted him after emerging from its bowels. This mysterious creature from the beginning of time, eventually given the name of Hanuš (Dano), its fascination with the human race and particularly his mental state, it began to probe his memories and life experience to make sense of his life up to that point and the many mistakes he made along the way. The crux of that was of course his crumbling marriage to Lenka where the writing was clearly on the wall. Routinely left behind at the expense of the next mission or big discovery, she faced much of that same solitude on Earth as she looked for support that wasn’t coming from her husband. Perhaps not as deep of a character compared to Jakub, that didn’t make her arc as a character any less compelling to watch as her role spoke to his story as a whole, with Mulligan doing her best with what she was given. Watching that story play out through Hanuš was a journey in and of itself as audiences are treated to a series of vignettes highlighting how he and Lenka first met and the arc of their relationship from there. It appeared like they were meant to be until that started to change.

In the end, Spaceman only works because of Sandler’s incredibly raw and vulnerable performance as Jakub. Truly putting himself out there on screen, he does so much with so little. Seeing those layers of focused stoicism slowly wear away as a level of longing seeped in was engaging to watch and relatable, even more so as those feelings came tickling to the surface and started to take precedence over the mission. Longing for connection, his evolving dynamic with Hanuš (Dano and his soothing voice were perfectly cast) was a blast to watch as they learned to confide in one another as they worked to understand one another. While the underlying lesson here was a predictable one, the climax of the film wasn’t any less powerful as the big discovery helped to put things in perspective.

Meanwhile, the film’s visuals (pun intended), are out of this world. Be it on Earth, or in the middle of outer space, it is an absolute marvel to withhold, offering a variety of contrasting color palettes and set designs. The cinematography as a whole was a highlight from capturing the vastness of space with an impressionistic twist, to making Jakub’s ship another character in the story. The VFX used to bring Hanuš to life was decent but Dano’s performance makes it easy to forget that he was playing a CGI creature. In terms of the score, it is definitely booming though some may argue that it could be too much at times.

still courtesy of Netflix

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.