I.S.S. blasts into theaters January 19, 2024.
Outer space has long been used as a setting for suspense and horror in film. There’s an obvious tension that accompanies the beauty of being surrounded by an endless darkness and perpetual unknown. While the space-thriller is something we’ve seen in the past, we’ve never quite seen it like this. I.S.S. takes the paranoia of The Thing and the claustrophobia of The Decent and combines them for a white-knuckle thrill ride two-hundred and fifty miles above Earth.
The Plot
American and Russian astronauts aboard the International Space Station are faced with unspeakable terror as they watch explosions and fire engulf the Earth below. However, things go from bad to worse when the Americans receive orders from their government to take control of the I.S.S. by any means necessary.
I.S.S. Critique
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Ariana DeBose — in her first live-action feature since winning an Academy Award for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story — goes from singing in the streets of New York, to screaming in the endless void of space. It’s quite the departure from her Oscar winning role; however, when watching I.S.S. its easy to see why DeBose would make such a leap. What could have been yet another forgettable, run of the mill entry in the genre is elevated by the masterful direction of Gabriela Cowperthwaite.
The filmmaker behind the groundbreaking documentary Black Fish and the surprisingly emotional Megan Leavey — also distributed by Bleeker Street — crafts a tightly paced, heart-racing thriller that uses man’s natural fear of the unknown to catapult its characters into a frenzied fight for survival. While a devastating war rages on Earth, the crew of the International Space Station are secluded and fighting a war of their own. While their battle is certainly initiated by the events of their respective countries, theirs is a battle of self-preservation completely disconnected from the political agendas of those on the ground.
Choosing to have no real villain is among the smartest choices the film makes. Nobody in this movie is depicted as being evil. Instead, they’re depicted as being desperate, which is arguably even more dangerous. That desperation fuels the violence which is heightened by a near hopelessness, and it’s all taking place in zero-gravity. Where I.S.S. loses some of its steam is in its need to walk audiences through every step of the story. The foreshadowing and clue-dropping is often heavy-handed, a blatant trail of breadcrumbs intended to show audiences exactly how we get from each moment to the next.
In Conclusion
I.S.S. aims for the stars and largely succeeds. January is often considered to be a dumping ground for lesser quality films, but I.S.S. — just like M3gan last year — proves this doesn’t have to be the case. Ariana DeBose showcases her versatility as an actress, proving that she can handle herself across a broad scope of genre styles and tones. I’d recommend watching this in the darkest theater, with the largest screen you can find. Perhaps bring some gum or mints, because you’ll be kissing the ground beneath you, thankful to be safe on Earth, once the movie ends.
8/10
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