Movie Review: ‘I.S.S.’

Gabriela Cowperthwaite directs the new science fiction thriller, which begins plausibly, but descends into pulp even as the station threatens to fall.

Ariana DeBose in Bleecker Street's 'I.S.S.' Credit: Bleecker Street.

Opening in theaters on January 19th, ‘I.S.S.’ might be set in the near future, but it seeks to channel some very real and current fears of division in politics and the world in general. Not to mention the spreading notion of conflict around the world.

The concept is certainly a compelling, but the film itself takes a wrong turn at one point and boils away the tension it has created like an astronaut exposed to space.

Does ‘I.S.S.’ Have Gravity?

A Still from Bleecker Street's 'I.S.S.' Credit: Bleecker Street.

The idea for ‘I.S.S.’ is one that movie fans might find familiar, since the notion of American and Russian crews at odds in space is one that forms part of the story for 1984’s ‘2010: The Year We Make Contact’.

That movie, of course was also burdened with being the sequel to one of the most highly regarded movies of all time (‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, in case you somehow didn’t figure it out). ‘I.S.S.’ doesn’t have to service an existing story and we feel justified in saying that there are no mysterious monoliths of alien origin or giant space children in this one.

Yet for all its down-to-Earth (well, sort of) plotting, it fumbles midway through, giving a talented cast little to hold onto.

‘I.S.S.’: Script and Direction

A Still from Bleecker Street's 'I.S.S.' Credit: Bleecker Street.

Written by Nick Shafir, the script appeared on the Blacklist of best unproduced screenplays before it was plucked from that pile and became this movie. It’s initially a pot-boiler of a thriller, putting a group of Russian and American astronauts aboard the International Space Station and putting them at odds when the situation down on Earth spirals out of control.

It has a solid start, portraying the claustrophobia of docking at the famous station and the unsure feelings of the main characters who don’t know who to trust. Smartly bringing Ariana DeBose’s character Dr. Kira Foster aboard as a newbie, the opening allows for all the exposition you need to figure out who everyone is and what the situation is aboard.

But as the story’s paranoia deepens, it also goes to some overly melodramatic places, getting to a pulpy level and throwing in twist after twist that don’t really work. It’s as if it switches gears to a completely different film, and not one that is as satisfying as its beginning.

Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite, who previously made the acclaimed documentary ‘Blackfish’, bio-drama ‘Megan Leavey’ and romantic drama ‘Our Friend’ switches gear herself here, bringing a light touch to a science fiction story that could have come out of ‘Black Mirror’ or ‘The Twilight Zone’ (though, again, there is nothing otherworldly here).

It helps that the effects are impressive, leading to some beautiful visuals –– the sense of awe for the new arrivals is not hard to understand when you have superb panoramas. She has also, thanks in part to research with astronauts who have spent time on the station, crafted a welcome claustrophobic atmosphere within, the better to increase the tension. Yet while her work with the cast is initially fine, she seems to lose control of things as the drama dials up.

‘I.S.S.’: Performances

Ariana DeBose in Bleecker Street's 'I.S.S.' Credit: Bleecker Street.

You might be more used to seeing DeBose singing and dancing (she did, after all, win an Oscar for Steven Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’), but here she plays Foster with a nervy edge that works well for someone who is adapting to a strange situation even before conflict erupts on Earth, and she has to decide who to trust.

Chris Messina, meanwhile, has the perfectly gruff, low-key attitude that befits a veteran astronaut who has to make some big decisions when things start to go wrong. He plays his scenes with aplomb and stalwart levelheadedness, but even he falls victim to some ridiculous moments that send things on the station to a degree that makes you start to roll your eyes.

The ensemble as a whole does good early work, though even they can’t quite keep a grip on things and the situation becomes untenable. There are great actors at work here, but the likes of Pilou Asbæk can’t keep things afloat as gravity begins to drag on both the narrative and the space station.

Yet even with the characters plunging into conflict, the turns outwit even the acting abilities of the group and before the end, you’re beginning to wonder how much sillier things can get.

‘I.S.S.’: Final Thoughts

Chris Messina in Bleecker Street's 'I.S.S.' Credit: Bleecker Street.

‘I.S.S.’ will likely divide audiences into those who appreciate the slow-burn tension of the initial scenes and the early moments after war breaks out on Earth and those who are just waiting for the situation on the station to become a free-for-all as the astronauts take sides.

It’s just that for us, the dives into suspicion and secrecy overstretch the concept and it never retains its shape. A real shame, since the movie had plenty of promise, and while it offers some taught direction and fine performances, it ultimately lets its initial good feelings slip away into the cosmos.

‘I.S.S.’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.

What’s the story of ‘I.S.S.?

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

Astronauts Dr. Kira Foster (Ariana DeBose), Gordon Barrett (Chris Messina) and Christian Campbell (John Gallagher Jr.) must now face off against the cosmonauts they previous regarded as colleagues –– and in some cases, more.