Gravity’s opening crawl told us that “life in space is impossible,” and it appears that every film featuring a space station follows suit. Another crew in the vacuum, facing collapse and dread. This one steers clear of the most cliched scenes (the defenseless victim behind locked doors), but it also takes a detour when its basic idea seems to be intended to evoke psychological fear.
The half-American, half-Russian crew of the International Space Station welcomes Kira (Ariana DeBose) as a newcomer. As she starts her second day, there is a nuclear war on Earth. Gordon (Chris Messina), the US commander, and Nicholai (Costa Ronin), the Russian commander, are both given orders to secure the station. That could have been the basis for a dramatic thriller that was horribly effective, with six scientists attempting to determine whether they can trust one another and communicate with a world that has been destroyed. Alternatively, chaos ensues.
Things peter out instead of building to a climax.
The end product is strangely not as stressful as it should be, but it is still rather tight. Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s attempts to heighten the tension, such as including broken thrusters on the I.S.S. itself, somehow lessen the impact of the tragedy. The most disturbing scene in the movie is Messina’s expression when she realizes how much of a burning firestorm the Earth is. However, the others are too busy to consider the existential question of what exactly they are fighting for when it’s possible that everyone they’ve ever met may be dead; instead, they just go through the motions of war, albeit one that is undoubtedly fueled by growing paranoia. Things peter out instead of building to a climax.
Who will go space mad and who will attempt to take the first shot are very obvious. Depending on the demands of each moment, DeBose’s Kira alternates between extreme expertise and complete ignorance. However, Pilou Asbaek, who plays the cunning Alexey, Masha Mashkova, who plays the endearing Weronika, and Messina in particular provide strong supporting roles. Although the location is disasterous, the story itself doesn’t seem to be fitting for such a horrifyingly realistic story.