Spaceman

I'll say it countless times: Adam Sandler is a good actor, even a great one. When refocusing from raunchy buddy comedies with his usual crew of 90's comedian friends, he finds projects that he can truly and unequivocally blossom. With these projects becoming more prevalent for the legendary star, it only made sense to make the lateral move into sci-fi.

Spaceman is something else. Soft around the edges, chillingly isolated, and moody to an almost uncomfortable degree, this film has a peculiarity that I can't quite put my finger on. Spaceman Jakub grapples with hardships that are equal parts relatable yet unimaginable. It's clear that he has been on this mission an agonizingly long time - literally floating in an emotional limbo that is ironically heavy. Aside from the harsh void, there is an internal vortex of pain, loneliness, and aimlessness that is heavy on Jakub's heart away from his partner, Lenka (Carey Mulligan). Denis Villeneuve's film Enemy comes to mind when we meet a large space spider (which Jakub names Hanus) voiced by Paul Dano, an English-speaking extraterrestrial who guides Jakub through his psyche, painstakingly examining what Jakub is truly after.

The darkness is a mirror emotion of interpersonal turmoil that exists in the claustrophic tin can they inhabit would be more effective if it didn't feel like the weirdest therapy session you can think of. The effect that is desired of us feels almost forced. However, this is made up for by stellar performances by the main cast. Believability and authenticity are the main ingredients of this unusual space oddyssey. This, combined with visuals that are breathtakingly beautiful, culminate into a third act that firmly holds your heart in a moment that intersects the beauty and vastness of a universe yet to be fully embraced.

Spaceman is not as complicated of a movie as it wants you to believe. Complexity of emotions and the pressures of Jakub's world almost act as a smokescreen of feelings that at times feel artificial, but the strength of the drama and cresendo of internal exploration make up for this to create a film that reminds you of Adam Sandler's potential.

As far as entertaining sci-fi film goes, this one hits the nail on the head in many ways.

Adam Sandler coming out with another respectable performance since UncutGems, his appearance and mental health is something to be believed in the film.

The various camera/editing choices they decided to make emphasises the sense of uneasy-ness, something you can assume Sandler's character must feel during the film.

The connection between characters as well is one that may pull on heart strings. It certainly did for me!

However, this isn't by no means a blockbuster of a hit. Story wise it's not very original and reminded me of the films Ad Adstra and Interstellar. I'd also say the ending could have been cut shorter, but I suppose the alternative wouldn't have made much of a difference for a viewing.

Overall, it's a very dark, artistic sci-fi film, that often leaves you questioning what's real and what isn't.

I understand that a lot of people probably rated this low because they saw that it starred Adam Sandler and came into it expecting Happy Gilmore. I did not. I am a sci-fi enthusiast, and I cut my teeth on some of the great, old masterpieces of the '50s and '60s -- many of them by Czech authors, just like this one was! These novels and films were ones that modern audiences might see as "dry" these days, but they were hard-core sci-fi that packed an emotional punch while telling a story of speculative fiction -- a world that "advanced the timeline" from our own to see how the human psyche, human morality, human frailty, would cope with advances in technology. And that's exactly what we have here -- a Czech astronaut put in an extraordinary circumstance, even fantastical by the standards of our "real world." And yet, the actual story isn't fantastical at all -- it's a simple question of the human heart, and the meaning of life. In that way, it's not so different from a one-act, heavy-dialogue drama... but by framing it as a science fiction film, we can strip out any modern-day distractions and just focus on human nature in its purest form.

And maybe enjoy Paul Dano's absolutely riveting performance as a giant arachnid alien!

This is a must-see for any lover of "pure" sci-fi or "old-school" sci-fi. 8/10.

Been wanting to watch this since the first teaser trailer got out some months ago!

Adam Sandler in a psychological drama sci fy sounded very interesting. As its not really those films he's usually in. And he makes it even better then i think he would do.

I've always liked these "wierd", artsy, space themed, deep and psychological films focusing on our mind, our perception of our reality, the meaning of life and on the fear of the unknown.

A very well put together film, with a really really good and beautiful soundtrack aswell. Filming is also very well made!

Excellent manuscript!

A really unique and beautiful sci fy! A very clever film! That i totally recommend! Pure art! A special and poetic space adventure that explores ourselves and the unknown.

An abstract look at themes of love, loneliness, & the meaning of life. More of a character study than a big story but that makes it uniquely meaningful. It's very bizarre yet beautiful with stunning visuals & emotional dialogue.

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. An abstract look at themes of love, loneliness, & the meaning of life. More of a character study than a big story but that makes it uniquely meaningful. It's very bizarre yet beautiful with stunning visuals & emotional dialogue.

. .

. An abstract look at themes of love, loneliness, & the meaning of life. More of a character study than a big story but that makes it uniquely meaningful. It's very bizarre yet beautiful with stunning visuals & emotional dialogue.