Spaceman Review

Adam Sandler has consistently proved himself a sharp figure in film. Cutting around in Uncut Gems and Punch-Drunk Love only scratches the surface of his capabilities. His frequent attempts to use comedy as an emotional restoration, a pit-stop in the careering turmoil of life (as he does in Click and Funny People) is a charming and just endeavour. But it appears the heartfelt shlock of the mid-2000s has been left behind – temporarily that is – for efforts involving a tad more imagination, a little loosening of the grip he has on stringent ties to the cheap laugh trickery. It is a push in the right direction which sees the underrated pioneer pair with Paul Dano on Spaceman, a feature all about battling your self-doubt.  

One of the many to pull themselves through space with all the doubt and grit of Solaris but without the subtle strokes needed. Catapulting yourself towards Jupiter and facing all the usual horrors is paired by director Johan Renck with the inevitable isolation. Physical silence despite the contact through what appears to be stuffy boardrooms and press junkets fitted with lifted props from the Chernobyl set. Innocent questions from those who label Jakub Prochazka (Sandler) the loneliest man in the world set the spiral in motion – and whether the horror creature is mere imagination or a real beast from Jupiter is neither here nor there, the real enemy is the mind and what it tells us of dark spaces when we live and thrive alone. Kunal Nayyar maintains a solid supporting role as the unflinching tech support of Jupiter and Carey Mulligan is monumental in her role as someone suffering isolation. 

In the chilling void of space comes a time for unwanted reflection and so too it reflects on where Lenka (Mulligan) finds herself. All of this, this feeling of unwanted emotional ripples and the beauty of space, is not new. High Life, Moon and Ad Astra all felt around for these notions of emotional struggle brought on by an internalised routine and the incredible made mundane. How can we live and recover in spots of wonder when we are burdened by the ongoing stresses? Doing something miraculous does not save you from the deadlines and dedication elsewhere in life. Spaceman shows even the finest of men need jelly-eating space spiders to help them seek clarity in their relationships. 

We can apologise for actions but we can never remove the burden they cause. Spaceman is fine in doing this though its crux – the implication that leaving Earth for Jupiter on a one-man mission would not harm a relationship – seems lost. Now more than ever the divide between trust and longevity is implanted. Though Spaceman finds itself firmly on the side of those rising prayers for those who can stick it out, the Dano and Sandler pairing is not capable of lifting it. It should be, this is the real shame. It has all the right pieces whirring away but can never amount to more than its lacklustre writing. A shame too since the relationship counselling space spider Dano voices marks an interesting dramatic leap for the duo at the core of this.