For the sci-fi film buff, Ad Astra does not fail in delivering a stunning epic on the future possibilities and consequences of space exploration. Major Roy McBride (Brad Pitt), tasked by SpaceCom to re-establish a connection with his presumed dead pioneering father (Tommy Lee Jones), finds himself in the midst of an existential crisis.
Roy discovers his celebrated father may not only be alive, but behind the deadly “surge” attacks on Earth. His top-secret mission takes him on an interplanetary adventure viewed only through Roy’s perspective (and an abundant reliance on inner monologue). Many critics compare Pitt’s performance to his role in Once Upon A Time…in Hollywood, but this character arc resonates more with the conflicted vampire, Louis in Interview with a Vampire. McBride lingers between the boundary of “un”human with his steady 80 beats per minute heart rate (despite a dramatic fall from a space tower) and cool-hand Luke bravado to humane and vulnerable as the film concludes.
When a new space drama ascends to the silver screen, comparisons to other notable works in the genre are inevitable. You will have the cerebral drama of Solaris coupled with the dramatic cinematography found in Interstellar and Gravity in this film. Each shifting setting in Ad Astra stimulates something in the viewer’s psyche. The rover chase sequence conjures images of the 1969 moon landing, while the Mars settlement elicits a strange and dusty austerity. But, it’s the outer space scenes that really illustrate the metaphor the film is expounding upon—our loneliness and isolation we can feel.
Director and co-writer James Gray (Lost City of Z) admits some of the film’s inspiration is drawn from cult classics like 2001: Space Odyssey and Apocalypse Now, both movies that garnered followings far after their initial releases. And maybe Gray hopes to gain an audience in future viewers who can appreciate his scientific forethought while commenting on humanity’s present crisis—disconnectedness.
While the film is a character study on Roy’s attempt to emerge from the shadow of his father, it simultaneously addresses the emotionally response to “answered” questions. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I will say that the anticlimactic ending is a choice that works for a film of this artistic caliber. Ad Astra isn’t meant to be a rollercoaster blockbuster film of excitement with a Hollywood happy ending, but rather an introspective mediation on the self and humanity.
Cosmic Curio: Per Aspera Ad Astra is a Latin saying that means “through hardships to the stars” and was etched on the Golden Records in Morse Code that were sent on Voyagers 1 and 2 over 25 years ago.
Showtimes: Click here
Genre: Sci-Fi, Space Drama, Epic
Runtime: 122 minutes
Director: James Gray
Actors: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler, Donald Sutherland
Rating: PG-13 for some violence and bloody images, brief strong language
