The science fiction genre is enormously broad, from futuristic worlds to realistic environments in which only suggestions are made that there is something special. It is that variety that makes it one of my favorite genres, because it can really go anywhere. Ad Astra opts for the realistic approach and is set in the near future.
Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) is one of the best astronauts in the US Space Command. A closed man with nerves of steel, whose heartbeat never goes up, even when he is in life-threatening situations. He is approached for a special mission. The earth is plagued by mysterious energy waves, which have an enormous impact on daily life. A possible cause of this has been determined and Roy is approached to make the dangerous and secret journey to Mars to find out what is going on. A journey in which he first has to go on a commercial flight to the moon, to continue his mission from there.
What immediately strikes me about Ad Astra is that this is not a “flashy” science fiction film, even one in which there is very little action. The action moments that are there are even a bit out of place, no matter how well they are realized. The focus is on Brad Pitt’s character and through voice-overs (which I thought added a lot), you learn more about his state of mind. The journey that Roy is going through is full of unexpected moments and slowly but surely he also gets to know himself better and as a result one of his statements at the beginning of the film gets a completely different meaning. Director James Gray creates a beautiful, interesting film here, while also trying to answer the question of whether we are alone in the universe.
[score8]