Jess Varley’sfeature debut,The Astronaut, is captivating science fiction that delivers efficient extraterrestrial chillsuntil it’s not.
What Is ‘The Astronaut’ About?
Maybe it’s the bruise spreading over her wrist, or the sensation that something’s paying midnight visits.
Image via SXSW
Even better, they’re serviceable.
It reminds me of a shrunken-down “Clovie” fromCloverfield, four-legged with stretched-long appendages.
The entity is unsettling from afar, thanks partly toDavid Garbett’scinematography.
When darkness falls and Varley focuses on scary tension, everything’s running smoothly.
If your gear-generated alien can’t outshine pixelated dinosaurs from 1994, that’s probably a poor comparison choice.
From this moment on,The Astronautis in a nosedive.The mood is shattered, but it gets worse.
An astronaut believes something extraterrestrial has followed her back to Earth.
Whatever shivery horror-forward chills might have been running up your spine immediately vanish.
Suddenly, Varley pursuesE.T.parallels like someone had just switched the channel.
Varley’s late-stage storytelling pivot is somethingThe Astronautcannot survive.
The movie’s DNA rewires abruptly, giving us no time to brace for impact.
Seeing the alien in full view and everything that comes after raises question after questionit’s a horrendous miscalculation.
There’s nothing Mara can do at that point.
Her portrayal of Sam Walker isn’t the problem.
The Astronauthas sky-high ambitions that go up in flamesduring the home stretch.
Everything’s chugging along fine, then the tone implodes, and Varley’s command over scenes disintegrates.
The Astronaut suffers from a catastrophic final act and shoddy digital effects that torpedoes an otherwise serviceable sci-fi thriller.
Cast
An astronaut believes something extraterrestrial has followed her back to Earth.
