''Spaceman'' is a 2024 American

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

film directed by Johan Renck and written by Colby Day. It is based on the 2017 novel '' Spaceman of Bohemia'' by Jaroslav Kalfař. Starring

Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, List of awards and nominations received by Adam Sandler, his accolades include an Independent Sp ...

Carey Mulligan Carey Hannah Mulligan (born 28 May 1985) is a British actress. She has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award. She w ...

Kunal Nayyar Kunal Nayyar (, ; born 30 April 1981) is an actor. He gained recognition with his portrayal of Raj Koothrappali on the CBS sitcom ''The Big Bang Theory'' (2007–2019), and voiced Vijay on the Nickelodeon animated sitcom '' Sanjay and Craig'' ( ...

Lena Olin Lena Maria Jonna Olin (; born 22 March 1955) is a Swedish actress. She has received nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Mentored by filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, she made her screen d ...

Isabella Rossellini Isabella Fiorella Elettra Giovanna Rossellini (; born 18 June 1952) is an Italian actress and model. The daughter of Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman and Italian film director Roberto Rossellini, she is noted for her successful tenure as a Lancôme ...

, and

Paul Dano Paul Franklin Dano (; born June 19, 1984) is an American actor. His work includes both independent and mainstream projects, and his accolades include nominations for a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award and two Primetime Emmy Awa ...

, it follows an astronaut sent on a mission to the edge of the

Solar System The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Sola ...

who encounters a creature that helps him resolve his earthly problems. ''Spaceman'' premiered at the

74th Berlin International Film Festival The 74th annual Berlin International Film Festival, usually called the Berlinale, took place between 15 and 25 February 2024 in Berlin, Germany. Kenyan-Mexican actress Lupita Nyong'o was named the Jury President for the main competition. This ye ...

on February 21, 2024, and received a

limited theatrical release __FORCETOC__ Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few cinemas across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...

on February 23, 2024, before its streaming debut by

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

on March 1, 2024. The film received mixed reviews.

Plot

Czech cosmonaut Jakub Procházka is six months into a space mission to investigate a mysterious cloud of dust and particles, called Chopra, lying beyond Jupiter. The Czech mission has arrived shortly before a competing South Korean mission. Jakub struggles with loneliness and misses his wife, Lenka, who has recently stopped talking with him after he left her and their unborn daughter behind to go on the mission. Lenka sends him a message telling him that she wants to leave him, but Commissioner Tuma, Jakub's commanding officer, prevents it from reaching him, to prevent Jakub's mental state from worsening. Days later, still without news from Lenka, Jakub finds a spider-like creature with telepathic abilities inside a compartment of the ship. The creature, whom Jakub names Hanuš, wishes to understand humans better and to help Jakub with his loneliness. Exploring his memories, Hanuš learns more about Jakub: his father was an informant of the state party and was killed when Jakub was young. He met Lenka, but often neglected her, being more focused on his career as a cosmonaut, going as far as leaving her when she suffered a miscarriage. After showing Jakub an implanted memory of the miscarriage, which Jakub was not present for, Hanuš, disappointed with humanity, leaves the ship, leaving Jakub distressed. Jakub arranges with Peter, a technician and good friend of his, to deliver a message to Lenka, asking for forgiveness for his neglect. Hanuš returns after this, revealing that he's dying due to a parasitic infection that wiped out his entire species. The two finally arrive at the Chopra cloud, which is revealed to be a leftover of the beginning of the universe and where every moment of time exists simultaneously. Hanuš leaves to die in space, but Jakub goes after him. Within the cloud, Jakub comes to the conclusion that he wishes only to be with his wife. She appears to him in a forest scene as a

rusalka In Slavic folklore, the rusalka (plural: rusalki; , plural: русалки; , plural: ''rusałki'') is a female entity, often malicious toward mankind and frequently associated with water. It has counterparts in other parts of Europe, such as th ...

. Hanuš passes away due to the infection. Jakub is rescued by the South Korean space vessel. Jakub and Lenka talk again, coming to terms with their relationship.

Cast

as Jakub Procházka *

as Lenka, Jakub's pregnant wife *

as the voice of Hanuš, an extraterrestrial spider *

as Peter, a technician *

as Commissioner Tuma, Jakub's commanding officer *

as Zdena, Lenka’s mother

Production

In October 2020,

announced that the novel '' Spaceman of Bohemia'' would be adapted by screenwriter Colby Day into a feature film of the same name directed by Johan Renck and starring

. In April 2021,

was added to the cast, and the film was retitled ''Spaceman''. On April 19, 2021, it was announced that

and

joined the cast.

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

began on April 19, 2021, in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, and wrapped on July 1, 2021, in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. In the Czech Republic, filming took place in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

and surrounding areas of the country's

Central Bohemian Region The Central Bohemian Region ( ; ) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the central part of its historical region of Bohemia. Its administrative centre is in the Czech capital Prague, which lies in the centre of the regio ...

Max Richter Max Richter (; ; born 22 March 1966) is a German-born British composer and pianist. He works within postminimalist and contemporary classical styles. Richter is classically trained, having graduated in composition from the University of Edinbu ...

composed the soundtrack. On February 22, 2024, the track "Don’t Go Away", a collaboration between Richter and the American band Sparks, which features in the film, was released to streaming services.

Release

''Spaceman'' had its world premiere at the

in the ''Berlinale Special'' section on February 20, 2024. The film was released on March 1, 2024, its originally planned release date in 2023 was delayed due to the impact of the

2023 SAG-AFTRA strike From July 14 to November 9, 2023, the American actors' union SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) went on strike over a labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Pro ...

Reception

In a positive review for '' RogerEbert.com'', Robert Daniels praised Sandler's performance, writing, "I just love Sandler in this register. It’s no longer a surprise when he pulls a well-defined and memorable dramatic performance." In a mixed review for ''

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

'', Siddhant Adlakha wrote, "Its visual artistrywhich goes to great lengths to establish mood, and uneasy emotional equilibriumis swiftly laid low by its dependence on the literal, nullifying whatever abstractions its sci-fi premise might come to briefly represent."

Notes

References

External links

* * {{Johan Renck 2024 drama films 2024 films 2024 science fiction films 2020s American films 2020s English-language films 2020s science fiction drama films American science fiction drama films English-language science fiction drama films Films about astronauts Films about extraterrestrial life Films about spiders Films affected by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike Films based on Czech novels Films based on science fiction novels Films directed by Johan Renck Films scored by Max Richter Films shot in New York City Films shot in Prague Netflix original films