While The Astronaut doesn’t necessarily do anything new, it is still a solidly entertaining piece of Sci-Fi art thanks to Kate Mara’s killer performance.
On paper, The Astronaut sounds like a fantastic Science Fiction film. Kate Mara stars in a movie filled to the brim with paranoia as an astronaut who returns to space and becomes fairly confident an alien creature has followed her back. While it doesn’t really do anything new, and is often predictable, Mara’s stellar performance makes The Astronaut worth checking out.
This film moves along quickly, clocking in at ninety minutes, which is the perfect length for something like this. It never tries to do too much and while it leans into the suspenseful moments at times, it never draws anything out to long.
Mara is at the front and center of The Astronaut. She is almost always seen on screen and she fully commits to the role. She does a wonderful job of taking the audience on this journey with her.
The supporting cast is great, but this truly feels like a solo venture for Mara with no one else getting anywhere near as much screen time as her. She proves that she has the acting ability to command a film like this, delivering an incredible performance.
The Astronaut can be suspenseful at times, but it does often feel like a film we have seen bits and pieces of before. It doesn’t take risks, feeling like a safe but solid entry in the Sci-Fi horror genre.
There is a little bit of body horror weaved in, but not nearly as much as we have seen with recent movies like The Substance. One scene in particular made me hide behind my hands, but overall, nothing turned my stomach.
The big reveal is perfectly placed in the middle of the third act, and even though I figured out the general idea of what was happening, it was executed very well. There are some truly incredible visuals in The Astronaut, especially in the third act. Again, nothing completely surprising happens, but it still entertaining to see all the pieces of the puzzle come together.
The Astronaut is currently seeking distribution after its premiere at SXSW 2025 and I truly hope that Sci-Fi fans get a chance to see this one on the big screen. Kate Mara’s performance is fantastic, and I enjoyed watching her fully give herself over to the role.
About The Astronaut
After returning from her first space mission, astronaut Sam Walker is placed under NASA’s care at a high security house for rehabilitation and medical testing. However, when disturbing occurrences begin happening around the property, she fears that something extraterrestrial has followed her back to Earth.
The Astronaut is currently seeking distribution after its premiere at SXSW 2025.
