I've never wanted to give emotionally-repressed Brad Pitt a hug more so than in this film. James Gray's magnificent Ad Astra is an absolute crowning achievement in science-fiction filmmaking. Taking inspiration from just about every iconic movie of this genre, this film is a very passionately-written ode to sons, their fathers, and the often rocky relationships that many of them have. While the stakes may have been a bit higher in this film than what families are used to dealing with, the level of personal touch that Gray infused into every scene was astounding. I have not seen a movie of this genre touch on such emotional and sensitive material like this one did and I believe that the combination of Gray's writing/directing talent and his fantastic cast only adds to that. Seeing this in IMAX was also a huge plus, as the sheer amount of power the cinematography and sound design held made this an incredibly sensory experience. Along with an arguably career-best performance from Pitt, Ad Astra has instantly become one of the best sci-fi films for years to come, not to mention one of the best of this entire year.
Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) is a seasoned astronaut who has a long, cosmic tie with space travel. His father H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones) had left almost 30 years prior for a mission to Jupiter, leaving Roy's mother alone to raise their son herself. As his father's project begins to cause power surges that threaten humanity in the near future, Roy is tasked with finding and putting a stop to him. While this film accomplishes so many impressive feats, the thing that it succeeds best in is making its story unbelievably human. Set in the near future, this film has every right to be a fun, throwaway film with some big stars but Gray's direction paired with him and Ethan Gross' script proves it to be about much more. While Ad Astra takes its story in a more emotional direction compared to others of this genre, it still did wonders for building this mildly futuristic world. The environment that Gray builds to establish this setting as a world just barely out of reach of our own was so pleasant and shockingly familiar at times. Even though these characters travel to the moon, Mars, and even Jupiter, I never felt like I had left the comfort of what was usual for me. We even see places like Applebee's and Subway on a lunar colony but nothing ever feels out of place. Whether that says something about me or something about the technological progress of our culture is up for debate, but this environment was entrancing. I also really enjoyed the borderline goofy elements of the script. Ad Astra knows what kind of film it is and is not afraid to tease the audience with what might be stereotypical of a film like it.
Above every other typical space drama trope that Gray could have dipped his toes into, this film at its core is about how dangerous repressing your emotions can be. Roy's relationship with his father is obviously this film's main theme and the way that it explored emotional connections and idolatry was fantastic. Roy had spent his entire life trying not to act out or show too much emotion, so much to the point that he had become famous for his resting heart rate and easy success on psychological evaluations. He had always tried his absolute hardest not to become his father, while still maintaining some hope that Clifford was a good man at heart. As Roy eventually finds out that his father is not exactly who he expected to be, the film shifts focus to show how important it is to step out of your shell and rise above what your idols often fail to be. Ad Astra does so much for showing how dangerous withholding yourself from other people can be and is displayed through the beautiful character study of Roy. Pitt's performance was a large part of this as well, as his melancholic portrayal was very suiting. Even in simple close-ups of his eyes, the sheer pain that he can embody was extraordinary. Brad Pitt has been declared king of destroying toxic masculinity and I could not be more grateful.
Hoyte Van Hoytema's cinematography was absolutely gorgeous as well. The many crisp and unsettling shots were such amazing choices for many of this film's scenes and provided for a positively amazing first viewing. Ad Astra takes its cues from so many different futuristic films of its kind as well, as their influences can be clearly seen. Everything from the ambiguous anxiety of 2001: A Space Odyssey to the roaring action of Mad Max: Fury Road can be seen in different elements of this film. Awe-inspiring sound design is also basically a requirement for a space film these days and this movie was no exception. The creeping silence of space will forever be used by filmmakers to convey how lonely it truly is up there amongst the stars and this theme was used once again in such an effective way. This is one of the best sci-fi films of recent years by far, but my only issue was the cliché voiceover that plagued this narrative. I found it to be very distracting and frankly lazy but if it hadn't been utilized, the film would have had to rely too much on visual imagery.
Ad Astra is an incredible powerhouse of a film and an emotional, necessary addition to the science-fiction genre. Brad Pitt has never been better than his role of Roy McBride, as he brings so many various, nuanced layers that otherwise would not have made this protagonist very interesting. With Ad Astra, James Gray has truly delivered an intense arthouse space film that I will undoubtedly be revisiting countless times in the near future.
My Rating: ★★★★½
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