Space, Movie Review

The movie Space begins with a question and answer time with Dr. Ada Gray as she and the rest of the crew of the Udo are traveling to seed nanites on a planetoid. It is shown as if you are watching a news program with a streamer running along the bottom of the screen of stories and stocks. In the time she answers most of the questions we learn the world is in dire straits.

The synopsis for Space reads "In the year 2050, Dr. Ada Gray and her fellow astronauts aboard The Udo fight for survival after an accident leaves them stranded in deep space." But the story provides more than just a terror ride in space.

Lara Jean Sullivan as Dr Ada Gray

The Plot

Space is the story of Dr. Gray. Throughout the movie, she is the focal point, and represents different elements for each the crew member, including herself, on how they see the lone woman of a crew of five.

It is more than just the good doctor's story. The movie is a metaphor for the events introduced at the beginning and the path the Earth is on. I'm a sucker for good plot points and subtext written into a story. These are presented in a slow burn to build the tension.

Kurt Quinn as Evan Durand

Visual Impact

Most of Space is presented as if you are watching everything from cameras mounted on the ship. This includes the use of split screens and electronic interference. Many times it appears that the characters are talking directly to the audience. All of this, like the opening scene, places the audience more in the role of an audience watching on an electronic screen and not as an interloper in the story. The parts of the movie not in this format are in the flashback scenes of the crew building a retreat in the desert.

Michael Klug as Captain Phil King

The Cast

There are five main characters the story revolves around. The cast portrayed the characters in a manner that brings out the issues each is dealing with.

The lead character is Dr. Ada Gray played by Lara Jean Sullivan (Malvolia: The Queen of Screams). She is a strong independent woman who claims not to be afraid of anything, but shows fears and works hard to compensate. Dr. Gray is the science person in charge (and her first name means "nobility") of the nanites and with her rests hope. Sullivan provides a strong performance that incorporates the subtleties of the character.

Captain Phil King is portrayed by Michael Klug (House of Black Wings). He presents the leader who in many ways is running from his past and only has the unknown to run toward. Klug's performance shows the distance the captain keeps, even when he doesn't want it. His second is Tom "Tomcat" McMahon, a veteran, who is the closest thing to a friend the captain has. Jim Hilton takes on this role in his first feature film and provides the character who maintains faith in the past and the hope for the next generation.

The final two members of the crew are the pilot Evan Durand and Mitch "the bitch" Justin. Evan is played by Kurt Quinn (Mancamp) while Mitch is portrayed by Michael Terry (Stargate Origins). The characters provide the loss of faith in the past and the egotistical approach to problems.

Because of the use of camera angles and setup, the acting was focused in on the faces and not large physical movements. That can be a tough job and these people did it well.

Jim Hilton as Tomcat

Overall

Space is a good movie for those who like to dig deeper into the story. There isn't a lot of action, and because of the filming format used, the action is usually condensed to the expressions and limited actions of the characters. At times the pacing felt slow, but the overall impact works.

Space is being released on March 31, 2020.

You can find out more about Space on IMDb (link)

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The crew on the desert retreat