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By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Adam Sandler is one of the biggest paradoxes in Hollywood…he is mostly known for being a comedic goofball in movies like Billy Madison a Happy Gilmorebut then he turns around and kills him in a deadly serious movie like Uncut gems. Given that he followed that up with the barely watchable comedy Hubie’s Halloweenit’s official: we never know what we’re going to get from this great actor hidden inside the clown’s body. Because of this uncertainty, I was pleasantly surprised that serious Sandler came out for Astronautan extraordinary sci-fi space adventure that you can stream on Netflix now.
Adam Sandler In Space
Astronaut (based on Jaroslav Kalfař’s novel Astronaut from Bohemia) centers on a Cosmonaut who goes on a long-term space journey with some big luggage. He has fallen out with his wife, and it is understandable that he ditched her and their unborn daughter to be head of the stars. Amidst this ironically down-to-earth drama is a new development: the cosmonaut finds a spider alien with telepathic abilities who want to learn more about humanity. Their interactions help them both learn a little more about themselves and the universe, but neither is fully prepared for where this journey (literally and metaphorically) going to take them.
Adam Sandler headlines Astronaut as the cosmonaut in question, and he does an amazing job of channeling the complex emotions of a man who is constantly driven forward even as he is constantly haunted by what he left behind. Costars include Carey Mulligan (who absolutely slayed Promising Young Woman a Maestro) as the cosmonaut’s wife. Meanwhile, the alien fan who telepathically connects with our protagonist is voiced by Paul Danogenre fans are rightly delighted for his performance as Riddler in The Batman.
Audiences Respond to Spaceman
Originally, Astronaut was going to premiere in 2023, but the SAG-AFTRA strike delayed its release until 2024. Once it debuted, almost no one knew exactly what to make of it: on Rotten tomatoesthe film has a critical score of 50 percent, with critics mainly complaining that the film brings up a number of interesting ideas without fully engaging with them. Meanwhile, it has a Popcornmeter score of 66 percent, with audiences generally agreeing that the film does a surprisingly good job of adapting a crunchy and complex novel for the silver screen.
Like the cosmonaut in the middle Astronautyou’re probably wrestling with some uncomfortable questions right now, starting with why I’m recommending you watch a movie that few people have seen and critics weren’t impressed with on her. The first reason is Adam Sandler’s performance: although this move is not nearly as good as Uncut gemsit’s another powerful example (slightly similar Drunk Love Punch before him) how good this funnyman can be when he decides to be a serious actor. Also, his extensive experience in comedic and dramatic roles helps him sell a sad and serious film where his main costar is a talking spider alien.
Beyond the great performances, Astronaut also worth watching because of its (ironically enough) very grounded themes. Franchises such as Star Trek have conditioned us to scorn those who wish to leave Earth and explore the stars, but adventures Captain Kirk and Captain Picard rarely touches on how all this travel through the stars affects their family members back home. Sandler’s character is very compelling as someone who shares this common dream of exploring space but has to deal with how pursuing that dream has affected the one he loves the most.
Ultimately, Astronaut is one of the more cerebral films, but this strange journey through the cosmos is definitely worth taking. Will you love the movie as much as I did, or will you want to throw Sandler’s out-of-this-world movie into the sun? You won’t know until you watch, and with any luck, your judgment won’t be swayed by any telepathic spider aliens you have hidden under the sofa.
