I.S.S. (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – Tensions flare in the near future aboard the International Space Station as a conflict breaks out on Earth. Reeling, the U.S. and Russian astronauts receive orders from the ground: take control of the station by any means necessary.

My Take – Though we have seen various films set on space station, with some of the popular ones being Alien (1979), Gravity (2013) and Interstellar (2014), this latest from director Gabriela Cowperthwaite (Megan Leavey, Our Friend) and writer Nick Shafir, however, aims to stand out from the crowd by forgoing the space exploration aspect and instead embracing a thematic approach and resolution, that positions the narrative between a thriller and character-driven drama.

Portraying a global crises through the fear of a team of astronauts and cosmonauts stranded in an International Space Station (I.S.S), the film aims to work as an intricate mesh of simmering geopolitical conflict on Earth juxtaposed with the isolation, fear, and frustration of the crew members.

But while Cowperthwaite’s direction shows glimmers of early promise and certainly benefits from a few intense sequences, sadly, the film struggles to translate its intriguing premise into a memorable and profound experience.

By adopting a frustrating narrative approach, it instead ends up being a watchable sci-fi thriller with commendable performances, whose potential is weighed down by weak character development and a lack of unique narrative perspective, resulting in a generic tale that struggles to find its own identity amid various established features.

It wants to be a nail-biting action thriller with serious thematic material but ultimately it disappoints when it comes to in-depth plot exploration.

Set in a near future, the story follows Dr. Kira Foster (Ariana DeBose), a biochemist and former Marine, who along with Christian Campbell (John Gallagher Jr.), an engineer, finds herself aboard the International Space Station, a high-tech, orbiting laboratory where scientists from both super power countries harmoniously co-habituate as a symbol of post-Cold War U.S.-Russia collaboration.

Joined by the space station commander, Gordon Barrett (Chris Messina), also an American, along with the three Russians, Weronika (Masha Mashkova), Nicholai (Costa Ronin) and Alexey (Pilou Asbæk), the astronauts and cosmonauts form a friendly band of fellow scientists.

However, that harmony is significantly challenged when the group witnesses some kind of nuclear attack on the planet, with orange flame engulfing an entire continent. To make matters worse, both Gordon and his counterpart, Nicholai, are given near-simultaneous, top-secret orders to commandeer the International Space Station in the name of their country, by any means necessary. Suddenly, every conversation and every action becomes loaded with meaning.

It’s an intriguing enough premise, made more so by a blurring of predictable allegiances and a strategic withholding of information in the lean screenplay, which keeps us guessing about what will happen next, even as it flirts with themes of discord and cooperation. But the problem is that it lacks the necessary tension and intensity.

We don’t spend enough time to get acquainted properly with each of the characters, as well as their connections between each other. The story does the bare minimum to introduce characters and develop them; there is really no time for it, and the story is more interested in the resolution of the situation than how the situation is going to be resolved.

The issues largely lie in the script, which is heavy-handed to a fault. Moreover, there are occasional logical gaps in the plot devices screenwriter Nick Shafir uses, gaps which would be much more easily excused if this were a pulpy thriller that was not taking itself seriously. Instead, we are given a film that is somber and earnest.

The score swells after climactic moments of violence, in a way that attempts to link the bloodshed with pathos and emotional weight. The tone is all off here, given the viewer is also asked to suspend disbelief regarding every character’s general knowledge of the Space Station that they have trained countless hours to work on.

Technically, the film fares well with visually convincing depictions of life aboard a space station. However, while being decent in execution, it fails to truly awe with a uniquely aesthetic vision. The space scenes feel like generic depictions we’ve seen countless times, albeit well done. The cinematography is slick, yet misses capturing the immersive nature of their circumstance.

Performance wise, Ariana DeBose holds the film’s reins, while Maria Mashkova and Pilou Asbæk inject a taut energy into the plot. Sadly, Chris Messina, John Gallagher Jr. and Costa Ronin feel largely wasted, as their potential gets curtailed by their relatively weakly fleshed-out character development and backstory. On the whole, ‘I.S.S.’ is an inconsistent space-set drama that doesn’t live up to its potential.