Project Hail Mary has been a hit with audiences worldwide. However, the film is one in a series set in outer space that explores the theme of isolation. Here are three films set in outer space that deal with the theme of inner turmoil.
[imbd.com]Silent Running asks an important question: Is the environment worth killing for? Set in a spaceship carrying the last botanical life on Earth, we follow the story of an antisocial astronaut who, after being ordered to destroy the last living trees his ship is carrying, decides to rebel against his own crew and take control of the ship. Silent Running’s message is admirable, but it can also be heavy-handed. Still, Douglas Trumbull’s modeling is impressive even today. Specifically, I enjoy how the film contrasts the lush, bright, and humid green forests with the geodesic domes and the cold, vast darkness of space outside. But what makes the film different is that its ecologist hero (Bruce Dern) is also a murderer. Rather than making its tree-loving protagonist a peaceful hippie, Dern is an abrasive, somewhat unlikable character whose love of plants and dislike of people have turned him into a killer. That character choice adds a dimension of complexity to an otherwise straightforward sci-fi story. ★★★
[imbd.com]Upon its initial release, the reviews were strong, but the American box office was weak. I’ve always enjoyed Danny Boyle’s sci-fi space movie, Sunshine. With Sunshine, we get a film that blends science fiction, mythology, and horror into one effective piece of outer space entertainment. Set in the not-too-distant future, Earth is threatened by a dying sun. In a last-ditch effort to save the planet, a crew of astronauts ventures into space on a deadly mission to try to revive the dying sun. However, as the mission goes slowly awry, the crew starts to die one by one. Visually, the film is quite striking. Not only does cinematographer Alwin H. Küchler capture the immense scale of space and the terrifying beauty of the sun, but I also like how the film consistently emphasizes the characters’ visual perspective on outer space. I particularly like how the spaceship features an immersive ‘viewing room’ where the observation room scenes are presented as a visual spectacle that effectively conveys the sun’s ferocious, violent power. Plus, the movie has a believable crew of characters. Each of its actors (which includes Oscar Winners Cillian Murphy and Michelle Yeoh) behaves like a team of intelligent but isolated professionals rather than typical horror-movie victims. In addition, rather than giving us man-eating aliens or time-travel paradoxes, Sunshine blends cerebral science fiction with touches of Greek mythology (they are literally flying too close to the sun), resulting in a story that slowly gets inside our heads because of its primal understanding of human nature. ★ ★ ★ ½
[imbd.com]In an isolated base on the moon, a lone astronaut, Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell), is at the end of a three-year shift at a lunar mine. Looking forward to a reunion with his wife and young daughter, Bell is eager to finally return to Earth, but things take a turn when he makes a shocking discovery on the moon: another astronaut who looks exactly like him. Is this a doppelgänger, an alien, a clone, or is our protagonist losing his mind? That’s the premise behind Moon, an intriguing sci-fi mind bender that skillfully gets inside our heads. Visually, the film exemplifies the idea that less can be more. Instead of relying on action, Director Duncan Jones builds a quiet, eerie mood through sparse dialogue and a haunting score that continually emphasizes the loneliness of space. Visually, the film relies less on CGI and more on “old-school” miniature model work for the lunar landscapes and vehicles, which feel inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey. Of course, I can’t leave out Sam Rockwell. Not only must the actor play two distinct versions of Sam Bell—one weary and one confused—creating believable, separate characters, but Rockwell also showcases a wide spectrum of emotions, including anger, despair, and even humor, which, in the aftermath of the 2020 lockdown, will feel all too relevant to many viewers. ★ ★ ★ ½
