aFirst, the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) mistook a small spark on Earth for a volcano. But look, there’s another one, and another one. In fact, these astronauts get a bird’s eye view of the nuclear retaliation between the Russian and American governments that turns the Earth into a giant glowing fireball by the end of the film. But for the crew of six, three Americans and three Russians, nuclear Armageddon is just the beginning of trouble.
A low-budget, slightly subdued survival thriller – just the right amount of tension, with too few ideas to be actively intelligent – what this film does have is Kira, a biologist and novice astronaut. Great performance by Ariana DeBose in “West Side Story.” Like all the characters here, she’s a little too thinly sketched, but DeBose brings real warmth and likability to the role, making her Kira easy to root for. And there are some interesting moments as she adapts to weightlessness.
The film’s director, Gabriella Cowperthwaite, made her name with her orca documentary Blackfish, and brings the documentary maker’s curiosity to how life in space works. Kira quickly learned that sleeping is the hardest thing to get used to. One of the Russians, Nika (Masha Mashkova), shows her how to strap the harness at night. (Warning: Some scenes are not suitable for those with claustrophobia.)
ISS has a “no politics” rule, and the atmosphere is friendly and university-like. However, within minutes of the outbreak of World War III, American and Russian crews receive orders to seize control of the station “by any means necessary.” (Of course, the villainous Russky family are the first to stick the knife in.) And here’s where things get unbelievable. The Earth is burning below, but most of these astronauts act like they have something to do, like a government to report to and a life to return to. No one seems to have any existential fear of what awaits them if they survive: hunger, thirst, anarchy, and slow death.
Of course, the carnage on board is meant to be the epitome of mutual destruction below. One murder leads to another. That doesn’t make much sense. Still, the ISS delivers a gruesome death like a knockout in space. It’s a small bubble of blood floating cleanly in weightlessness after a screwdriver is driven into his neck.
