Christopher Nolan's famous sci-fi epic Among the stars This film may have been overshadowed by some of his other work over the years, but it’s interesting to look back on now as it celebrates its 10th anniversary. Meanwhile, one of his many stars, Oscar winner Casey Affleck, is leading another amazing sci-fi film that opens to audiences this week. slingshot This is a much smaller effort but it also features some big names besides Affleck, such as the legendary Laurence Fishburne and Boys Featured Tomer Capone (aka “Frenchie”).
Compared to Fishburne's more dramatic roles over the years, such as Morpheus from matrix Or King Bowery in John Wick films, slingshot This is a walk in the park for a 63-year-old man, but here he brings a certain intensity to his questionable character and, unlike the fully committed Casey Affleck, helps carry the film forward. slingshot Despite its sometimes derivative nature, director Mikael Hafström also helps (Escape Plan, 1408) takes the helm of this psychological thriller set in space, so indulge in the visionary pleasures here.
An Unconnected Journey to Titan
Let's send another crew to the moon, shall we? And if our moon seems like a stretch, how about another planet's moon? Maybe Saturn's? That's the premise of the idea. slingshot A screenplay by R. Scott Adams and Nathan Parker, in which a three-man crew heads to Titan to gather natural resources to supplement dwindling supplies on Earth. The odd title refers to a “gravity assist,” a particular maneuver the crew may need to use to deal with their stranded shuttle, using a planet's gravitational field to change course without draining the shuttle's resources.
Through a cleverly coherent narrative, we slowly learn that aspiring astronaut John (Affleck) has decided to leave his girlfriend Zoe (a wonderful Emily Beecham) behind to join a shuttle commanded by Captain Franks (Fishburne), with their commander Napier (David Morrissey) keeping a close eye on them back home. One interesting thing is that the mission will take years; not nearly as long as McConaughey’s. Among the stars The journey, but it is clear that John will face a new life if he returns to the third rock from the sun.
Paranoia in space
As danger aboard the shuttle emerges in multiple, disturbing ways, things begin to take a psychological turn – just like in director Hafstrom's adaptation of Stephen King's novel. 1408 This happened in 2007. It doesn't help that John and his assistant Nash (the very entertaining Capone) are sometimes given large doses of sleep drugs to stay sedated during long periods of interstellar travel.
When they regain consciousness, Captain Franks—who starts walking around with a gun, despite their protests—provides them with “facts” and updates that they either don’t quite believe or agree with. Nash is a genius with a Ph.D. who doesn’t like the mission’s direction for various reasons, but the arrogant Franks tries to reassure them that everything is fine. Of course, it’s not, and the film draws on several old classics to build tension toward its climax.
A divisive ending to an enjoyable but derivative film.
The possibility of astronauts losing their minds in space is familiar territory, from Sam Rockwell's underrated indie thriller moon (2009) To Andrei Tarkovsky's masterpiece, Solaris (And an excellent remake by Steven Soderbergh.) These are clearly better movies than slingshot This seems to be inspired by a previous work, but sci-fi fans will find that it will remain a satisfying work until the next installment comes out. It's more of a thematic snack until something better comes out, but it's a very interesting work thanks to the interesting visual structure that Hafstrom has provided.
The committed, emotionally charged performances of Affleck, Beacham and Capone keep the momentum going as their livelihoods are threatened. And the presence of a captain played by Fishburne, who channels his charisma as he struts around in the spaceship with a certain villainous presence, never fails to stir up controversy. The final image of the film may have you throwing popcorn at the screen depending on your sensibilities, or at least spark a chat among your fellow cinephiles. But sometimes, that’s enough to satisfy a Friday night craving for a movie.
From Bleecker Street, slingshot It will be released in theaters on August 30, 2024.
