I.S.S. Delivers the Goods in Tense but Slender Space Thriller
The new sci-fi thriller I.S.S. posits a terrific concept: What if six astronauts, three Russians and three Americans, work together on the International Space Station (I.S.S.) when nuclear war breaks out on Earth? The Cold War is back but this time it’ll play out in the cosmos instead of a couple “war rooms.” And this time they won’t merely threaten each other from the shadows but will come to blows. Working from Nick Shafir’s Blacklist script, the story could be straight out of a 1950’s paperback while also tapping into recent geopolitical anxieties. It’s a thrilling concept with the potential to be something quite memorable. Although director Gabriela Cowperthwaite confidently crafts an eerie potboiler with a noble message, the movie never fully explores the interesting ideas that are hardwired in the script. As a genre film, it’s worth your time and a fun ride, but the result also feels half-baked and slight. With such a promising premise, it’s difficult not to hope for something a little more sublime. The tension is there, sure, but why play a game of checkers when you have a beautiful chessboard?
Dr. Kira Foster (Ariana DeBose, West Side Story) boards the I.S.S. eager to meet the crew and start researching a cure for an unnamed disease. Actually, all the crew members work in biochemistry and conduct experiments that require zero gravity. Foster’s American compatriots include Gordon Barrett (Chris Messina), a veteran with the air of a stoner floating in his living room, and Christian Campbell (John Gallagher Jr.), a cagey huckster who’s either looking over his shoulder or whining about missing his daughters (he’s the classic codependent American). On the Russian side, there’s Weronika (Masha Mashkova), engaged in a clandestine affair with Messina’s Barrett, a beefy and stoic Alexey (Pilou Asbaek, Game of Thrones), and their steely but seemingly empathetic…
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