By Seth Lukas Hynes
Spaceman
Starring Adam Sandler, Paul Dano and Carey Mulligan
Rated M
4/5
Based on the Czech novel Spaceman in Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfar, Spaceman is an atmospheric, deeply touching science fiction drama.
On a lonely mission to study a mysterious cloud in deep space, cosmonaut Jakub Prochazka (Adam Sandler) befriends a spider-like alien being who he names Hanuš (Paul Dano).
With its sombre tone, ambient score and themes of introspection in space, Spaceman is reminiscent of Andrei Tarkovsky’s remarkable 1972 film Solaris.
Spaceman’s dialogue has a grounded eloquence found in novels translated properly to film.
Sandler delivers a solid dramatic performance of weary concern and dedication, and Dano has an otherworldly soothing presence as the voice of Hanuš (though, needless to say, this film is not for arachnophobes).
Jakub’s ship is full of authentic, often retrofuturistic detail, and the first act amusingly suggests that when an anomaly like Hanuš appears to you alone and far from home, all you can do is cope and move on.
Spaceman is slow, tender and meditative, and the Chopra space cloud is a pretty framing-device for Jakub’s personal journey.
The ever-elegant Carey Mulligan plays Jakub’s estranged wife Lenka, and the flashbacks of their relationship are vibrant and surreal but tinged with melancholy.
Through Jakub and Hanuš’s touching bond, Jakub steadily discards his selfishness and comes to value the life he neglected back home.
Jakub’s traumatic past, including his Communist Party informant father, feels a little underdeveloped, and the cinematography is a mixed bag. Plenty of the shots are beautiful, but some are very poorly-framed, with the characters awkwardly out of view.
Spaceman is streaming on Netflix, and in 2024’s biggest cinematic miracle so far, this Adam Sandler movie costarring a giant spider made me cry.
