Netflix Sci-Fi Space Adventure shows the comedian in a whole new light

According to Chris Snellgrove
| Published 1 hour ago

Adam Sandler is one of Hollywood’s biggest paradoxes… he’s mostly known for being the comedic badass in movies like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmorebut then turns around and kills it in a deadly serious movie like Uncut gemstones. Since he followed it up with a barely watchable comedy Fun Halloweenit’s official: we never know what we’re going to get from this great actor disguised as a clown. Because of this uncertainty, I was pleasantly surprised that Sandler took the decision seriously Astronautquirky sci-fi space adventure that you can now stream on Netflix.

Adam Sandler in space

Astronaut (based on the novel by Jaroslav Kalfař Cosmonaut from the Czech Republic) focuses on an astronaut headed for a long-duration space mission with a lot of luggage. He’s had an argument with his wife, who is understandably upset that he left her and their unborn daughter to head for the stars. In the midst of this ironically down-to-earth drama is a new development: an astronaut finds a spider foreign with telepathic powers who wants to learn more about humanity. Their interactions help them both learn a little more about themselves and the universe, but neither is fully prepared for where this journey (literally and figuratively) will take them.

Adam Sandler subtitles Astronaut as the astronaut in question and does a wonderful job of channeling the complex emotions of a man who is constantly driven forward, even as he is constantly haunted by what he left behind. Costars include Carey Mulligan (who absolutely killed it A promising young woman and Maestro) as a cosmonaut’s wife. Meanwhile, an alien black passenger speaks up and connects telepathically with our main character Pavel Danowho is rightly loved by genre fans for his performance as the Riddler v Batman.

Audiences react to Spaceman

Originally, Astronaut was supposed to premiere in 2023, but the SAG-AFTRA strike delayed its release until 2024. Once it debuted, almost no one knew what to make of it: on Rotten tomatoesthe film has a critical rating of 50 percent, with critics mostly complaining that the film presents a number of interesting ideas without fully engaging them. Meanwhile, the Popcornmeter rating stands at 66 percent, with viewers generally agreeing that the film does a surprisingly good job of adapting the gritty and complex novel for the silver screen.

Like an astronaut in the middle AstronautYou’re probably grappling with some uncomfortable questions right now, starting with why I’m recommending you see a movie that few people have seen and that didn’t impress critics. The first reason is Adam Sandler’s performance: although this move is not nearly as good as Uncut gemstonesis another strong example (kind of like Punch Drunk Love before that) about how good this joker can be when he decides to be a serious actor. Additionally, his vast experience in both comedic and dramatic roles helps him sell a sad and serious film starring a talking spider alien.

In addition to great performances, Astronaut it’s also worth watching for its (ironically enough) very grounded themes. Franchises like Star Trek have made us flatter those who want to leave Earth and explore the stars, but adventure Captain Kirk and Captain Picard rarely touch on how all this star travel affects their family members back home. Sandler’s character is very compelling as someone who shares this common dream of space exploration, but has to deal with how chasing that dream has affected the one he loves the most.

Eventually, Astronaut belongs to the more cerebral films, but it is definitely worth taking this strange journey through space. Will you love the movie as much as I do, or will you want to throw Sandler’s movie out of this world into the sun? You won’t know until you look, and with any luck your views won’t be swayed by any telepathic aliens hiding under the couch.