Putting a man on the moon caused America and Russia to lose perspective on scientific achievements. While there are many ways that science can fix real-world problems, imagining a world beyond the stars makes even important discoveries feel minuscule in the grand scheme of things. The Astronaut, the feature debut from Jess Varley, reminds us of the dangers of reaching for a world beyond our grasp. Featuring some brilliant visuals and a good performance from Kate Mara, The Astronaut struggles because it leans into nostalgia, forcing the film into conversation with some of the greatest films ever made. Despite that, The Astronaut still makes for an engaging story.
The Astronaut — The Plot
Upon reentry into the atmosphere, astronaut Sam Walker (Mara) needs time to recover in solitude. Despite wanting to return to her family (Gabriel Luna and Scarlett Holmes), Sam’s adoptive father, General William Harris (Laurence Fishburne), convinces her to stay at a secret government house in the woods. However, Sam immediately begins having hallucinations and observing creatures moving in the woods. As her visuals get more intense and her body breaks down, Sam wonders if something worse happened during the reentry than anticipated and if she brought something back with her.
Brilliant visuals help The Astronaut soar.
Shooting in Ireland and using VistaVision cameras, most of The Astronaut looks better than it has any right to. The vast majority of the feature takes place in a single, remote location, but Varley finds ways to make the house far more cinematic. Outside, the woods make for lush footage, especially when Mara walks into the woods, or Varley uses a drone shot.
Additionally, Varley uses unique color patterns to add to the sci-fi experience. Blues are the primary color that pushes us between sequences, but pinks, reds, and oranges all make plenty of appearances. Vacillating between the various colors allows Varley to pick the best lighting for each scene and maximize the effect of the moments.
The other aspect that works well stems from the cast. Mara delivers a vintage “scared-as-shit” performance, and this helps the stakes of The Astronaut feel clear. Fishburne brings his consistent tone to the role, and Luna continues to build his resume as an excellent supporting player. With Ivana Milicevic and Macy Gray only stepping in for occasional pop-ups, they are overqualified performers for what could be SAG-minimum roles. They help fill out the ensemble and spark a little more joy into the story.
The Astronaut suffers from poor character choices and overreliance on nostalgia.
Two big aspects could potentially take the audience out of the movie. While it is set up that Mara has another mission to prepare for in only two months, and that saying anything to NASA may get her pulled from that mission, she makes some shocking choices. We know that many people across organizations will hold off on telling their doctors about the problems they facetoo maintain their lifestyle. Still, The Astronaut takes this idea a little too far.
Additionally, Varley gives the audience some very clear reference points. The Spielberg influence is huge on the story, as is the presence of visuals from Alien. Unfortunately, the image creation here is a little too close to some of the best-known movies in history, and doing so is a disservice to Varley. It’s not bad to reference, but when the audience can immediately compare your film to one already lodged in their brain, you must improve upon the moment. The Astronaut never successfully does this, leaving us wanting more. The CGI often falls short of what is needed, exacerbating the issue.
Is The Astronaut worth watching?
In terms of indie sci-fi, The Astronaut succeeds where others fail. Varley crafts a crowd-pleaser, and the audience can quickly feel the energy shift in the movie’s favor. It won’t challenge the viewer, but it’s a fun ride, especially coming from a voice to keep an eye on. Hopefully, Varley can develop more unique images in the future because when she does, they’re stunning. In the meantime, The Astronaut makes for a fun but imperfect debut.
The Astronaut debuted at SXSW 2025. Keep an eye out for it at future film festivals.
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