Space Oddity starts off charming enough, but unfortunately it goes off track too far to be reigned back in. Not a horrible watch, but not a great one either.
Space Oddity is charming for the first thirty minutes or so, but once it starts to go downhill, it goes downhill fast. While the two leads have enough chemistry to make their relationship believable, it is the constant mention of our dying planet and the predictability of the story that take away from what could have been a great movie.
Space Oddity is a movie about a teenage boy who wants nothing more than to travel to outer space. When the opportunity arises for him to join a Mars mission, that is already preparing for a trip that will take place ten years in the future, he decides to say goodbye to his family and prepare for a life away. This trip is only one way and therefore he will never see them again.
Before heading to space he feels like he needs life insurance, just in case, and this is where his life changes. He meets a girl and the two almost immediately hit it off. Now he must decide if he should complete his life long dream, or give up on it for her.
Even just reading that synopsis, I am sure you are able to figure out what happens. This is the biggest issue with the movie. From the minute the second act starts, pretty much every viewer will know exactly how things are going to end up. This isn’t always a bad thing, but with a mediocre movie, it doesn’t help.
Normally I don’t mind a story that involves real life lessons about the world we live in today. However the environmental push in Space Oddity feels far too much like an agenda, and not enough like a subtle story. It is too bad because our planet is hurting, and does need our help, but the references and mentions are far too harsh and in your face to be effective in their messaging.
With an incredible supporting cast like Simon Helberg and Kevin Bacon, it is a shame this movie never takes off. Instead it stays grounded, dragging from the start of the second act all the way through the end.
The two leads, Alex (Kyle Allen) and Daisy (Alexandra Shipp), have a cute and charming chemistry which makes their interactions and relationship development believable. They are the best part of this movie without a doubt. It isn’t their fault that the story itself is too predictable. They do absolutely everything they can with what they are given, it just doesn’t work overall.
Space Oddity does have its moments. It isn’t all bad. So for those who enjoy an adorable romantic comedy, come for the good and just try to ignore the bad.
Rating: 2 out of 5
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About Space Oddity
Planets and lives collide in this Kyra Sedgwick-directed feature. Alex (Kyle Allen) longs to travel to outer space and finally gets the opportunity to do so thanks to a privately-funded Mars colonization program. In the midst of his rigorous preparation, he meets Daisy (Alexandra Shipp), the new girl in town who’s trying to start over.
The two wayward souls connect in unexpected ways, both of them harboring secrets that they’re desperately trying to overcome. However, when questions about the legitimacy of the program and the future of his parents’ flower farm begin to crop up, Alex finds himself questioning whether it’s easier to confront his past or fly away into the stars.
Space Oddity played at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.