The space adventure is a must for fans of Interstellar and Adam Sandler

The sci-fi film goes in a variety of directions. Sometimes we move on Earth in a near future. Sometimes we immerse ourselves in mysterious worlds on an alien planet. One of my favorite subcategories of the genre is the sad astronauts, who negotiate their personal conflicts in the darkness of space. I’m thinking about Interstellar, Ad Astra and High Life.

The next film in this genre celebrated its premiere at the Berlinale 2024: Spaceman: A Short History of Bohemian Space Travel. The powerful space odyssey is coming to Netflix in a few days. Particularly exciting: We get to see Adam Sandler, who tends to do comedies on the streaming service, as a sad astronaut. It’s one of his most unusual and best roles until now.

New science fiction film from Netflix at the Berlinale: Adam Sandler experiences his own Interstellar in Spaceman

Spaceman is based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Jaroslav Kalfař. The story tells of the astronaut Jakub Procházka (Sandler), who has been on an important mission in space for 189 days. One mysterious cloud worries people on earth. Jakub has to find out what the structure is all about, which enchants the starry sky with its purple colors.

You can watch the trailer for Spaceman here:

Everything is going according to plan – at least that’s what the Czech space agency says, which is bending over backwards to keep its sponsors and outrun the Korean competition. The truth is different: Jakub is emotionally completely out of control. The loneliness and cold of space bother him. Because he left his heavily pregnant wife, Lenka (Carey Mulligan), behind on earth.

The contact between the two is more than fragile. Jakub retreats deeper and deeper into the winding corridors of his spaceship, unable to articulate his torn interior for himself, let alone for others. The exhaustion is written all over Sandler’s astronaut face. Even at a Berlinale that began with Cillian Murphy’s tired eyes, the sadness that Sandler brings to the film is impressive.

Then comes the big shock: When he looks into the pantry, Jakub reveals himself alien creature in the form of a giant spider. Imagine Aragog from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: the hairy creature with its long legs and big eyes is just as disgusting. However, there is no deep, threatening hum, but the tender voice of Paul Dano – a wonderful irritation.

Spaceman triumphs as soon as Adam Sandler is treated by a giant alien spider in his spaceship

The nightmare figure, who is given the name Hanuš by Jakub, turns into one unexpectedly loving companion. This is not a given. After all, Dano’s whispers can mean many things. Sometimes it belongs to a scary villain like the Riddler in The Batman, sometimes to a caring father figure in Spielberg’s The Fablemans. Adam Sandler is lucky. The Dano spider doesn’t want to touch him.

Thanks to supernatural abilities, Hanuš can directly tap into Jakub’s feelings and memories. He creates a kind of bridge to Lenka and from then on acts as her personal space therapist thin people, as he calls Jakub. There is a tragic story behind Hanuš’s sudden appearance: the alien had to flee his home planet after an attack by an enemy species.

The relationship between Jakub and Hanuš is the heart of the film. Director Johan Renck (Chernobyl) observes in calm shots how the two approach each other cautiously and, more importantly, how the two of them approach each other Glide weightlessly through the spaceship. Large parts of the film take place in narrow spaces that are bathed in a greenish-brownish light. Here two very unequal bodies meet.

On the one hand, there is Sandler’s familiar stature – a human being, very tangible. On the other hand, Hanuš’s CGI body is fascinating, increasingly moving away from the disgusting character. Later there is even an embrace between these extremely unlikely characters, one of the most astonishing moments in the film. At this point at the latest, tears will flow. Hanuš is already one of them secret stars of the film year.

Not as good as the originals, but still a worthy entry in the canon of sad astronaut films

The problem is: the more this relationship between Jakub and Hanuš blossoms, the more Lenka fades into the background, even though she should be an equally important part. This contradiction will never be resolved. Carey Mulligan is once again caught in the role of the suffering wife of a man who doesn’t see her. Or only realizes it too late. What a wastesums up Sandler aptly, lost in space.

Renck feels more comfortable when he steers Jakub’s spaceship through grainy space paintings. It penetrates deeper and deeper into the cloud at the edge of human imagination before we get one of those exhilarating journeys through light expected, which has not been missing from any of these films since 2001: A Space Odyssey. The images are carried by Max Richter’s thoughtful, almost meditative score.

You definitely have to embrace the slow pace and introspective thoughts. Renck has neither the power of Interstellar nor the elegance of Ad Astra. But what he captures really well is the lost in thought, the brooding, which also runs through groundbreaking sci-fi stories like Solaris (both film adaptations!). Here Sandler can let Jakub’s sadness run wild.

500 million miles from Earth, no one in space can hear you cry. But with a bit of luck, you’ll meet the nastiest and most loving creature in the universe and bond with him over the years comforting power of Czech Nutella. Yes, Spaceman definitely deserves a place in the canon of sad astronaut films.

Spaceman: A Brief History of Bohemian Space Travel is screening in the Berlinale Special Gala section of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival. In Germany, the film starts on Netflix on March 1, 2024.