95 min | R | January 19, 2024 | Bleecker Street
War breaks out on Earth. Astronauts on the International Space Station get orders to take control by any means necessary. The premise is better than the movie.
The setup is clean and compelling. Six astronauts share the International Space Station. Three are American. Three are Russian. A nuclear conflict erupts on Earth below them. Both sides receive orders to seize control of the station. The people who were colleagues minutes ago are now enemies in a tin can with no escape. The premise writes itself. The film does not quite know how to finish what the premise starts.
Ariana DeBose plays Kira Foster, the American crew leader, with intensity and intelligence. She is the best thing in the film. Chris Messina plays Gordon Barrett with twitchy paranoia that works in the early scenes and becomes repetitive. The Russian crew, played by Pilou Asbæk, Mária Bakalova, and Costa Ronin, are given less to work with but commit to the tension. John Gallagher Jr. rounds out the American side. The cast is capable. The script does not give them enough room to build the relationships that would make the betrayals sting.
Gabriela Cowperthwaite directs with competence in a confined space. The cinematography captures the claustrophobia. The film is short and does not overstay its welcome. The problem is not pacing. The problem is that the script by Nick Shafir sets up a moral dilemma and then resolves it with action-movie logic. The interesting version of this film is about people trying not to follow orders. This version is about people following them.
There is a good movie in this premise. A great one, even. This is not that movie. It is a serviceable thriller that takes a provocative idea and sands down the edges until it fits inside ninety-five minutes without challenging anyone.