Ad Astra

By: Maggie Stankiewicz

Ad Astra is the weird cousin of the speculative fiction genre. It happily bounces between hard science and science fiction throughout its two-hour runtime; grounded in realism and speculation but decorated by musings of humankind’s spacefaring future. Directed and written by James Gray, the film follows emotionally detached astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) as he traverses the solar system in search of his rogue father, Clifford (Tommy Lee Jones). Ad Astra is stunning. A genuine visual masterpiece, the film’s use of composition, cinematography and visual worldbuilding may be the best you’ve ever seen in a space-centric movie…but that’s where the magic ends. Unfortunately, Ad Astra falls victim to a common movie misstep – underutilizing its full stable of talent (the remarkable Ruth Negga dazzles in this film, despite limited screen time).

Roy McBride is the strong, silent type. No, really. His cardiovascular strength is such that his heart rate never exceeds 80bpm, even in combat. His silence is so profound that it dampens his emotions and contributes to the dissolution of his marriage. Only in brief flashbacks and video recordings do we ever see Roy’s wife Eve (Liv Tyler) because…she left him. He checked out emotionally and physically (because space travel is the worst kind of long-distance relationship) and she pulled the trigger by disengaging completely. Of course, Roy didn’t know any better. His father Clifford, once a trailblazing astronaut, chose a never-ending space expedition over him. Roy inherited his father’s obsession with space and dedicated his life to making his idea of his dad proud– by exploring the solar system for signs of extraterrestrial life.

The film begins thirty years after his father’s final expedition – when solar flares are causing chaos across the solar system. Solar flares are taking out space technology, astronauts and threatening life on earth. Roy is called in by the military’s space arm to complete a confidential mission…track down his father, whose experiments are responsible for the devastating intergalactic phenomenon. Roy travels to the moon with his father’s old friend Colonel Pruitt (Donald Sutherland) and learns that things are not as they seem, but like the good solider he is, Roy carries on with the mission to a space post near Neptune with the help of an unlikely ally, Helen (Ruth Negga). He encounters space pirates, space monkeys and an abysmal darkness – but none of these things can prepare him for the truth.

The problem with Ad Astra is that while it is beautiful and emotionally compelling…nothing ever really happens. Considering the amount of time that passes within the film there is no true climax, aside from a few emotional revelations. This would be acceptable, welcomed even, if the film hadn’t been marketed as a space adventure. But it was – and it’s not. If you’re going into Ad Astra expecting to see a man as he travels across the galaxy in a blaze of glory, you’ll be disappointed. What you’ll get instead is the cerebral tale of a man who had to become his father to realize that was never who he wanted to be. That and an incredible cameo from Natasha Lyonne.

It is also worth mentioning that Brad Pitt, the star of the film, does an incredible job at carrying the film’s emotional and existential weight. Catch Ad Astra if you’re interested in sprawling spatial landscapes, character studies and space. Skip it if you’re looking for something to get your heart rate over 80bpm.