Spaceman surrounds a familiar premise with a thin story. There's heavy exposition, muddled stakes, and underwhelming payoff. Its telling instead of showing creates a cold distance that's hard for the drama to break through. Still, it's an adequate character study with an earned arc. While the central romance is underdeveloped, its core friendship anchors the film. It has themes of loneliness, sanity, beginnings, selfishness, and self-acceptance. The insight isn't particularly impressive but these ideas are earnestly explored. Its acting brings sincerity, reserved vulnerability, no range, spotty chemistry, and weak layers. Thus, Spaceman has heart but feels plain and repetitive.
Technically, Spaceman is creative yet can't shake its dull nature. Its direction is surreal, somber, and monotone. The cinematography adds framing, floating motion, angles, focus, and an overdone distortion filter. Its editing has cross cuts, slow pacing, jump cuts, intercuts, an abrupt ending, and bland momentum. The sound uses split cuts, echoes, silence, and layers. Its synth music is atmospheric, ethereal, and ominous. The production design offers grounded sci-fi with 70s influences. Its cast is small, famous, underutilized, and questionably fitting. The effects supply wires and mediocre CGI. Ultimately, Spaceman shows that an emotional core alone only goes so far.
Writing: 5/10
Direction: 6/10
Cinematography: 7/10
Acting: 7/10
Editing: 5/10
Sound: 7/10
Score/Soundtrack: 7/10
Production Design: 7/10
Casting: 7/10
Effects: 7/10
Overall Score: 6.5/10
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