Ad Astra Travels to Outer Space to Make Inner Discoveries

Ad Astra is a highly atmospheric experience of one’s journey to the stars. Rather than present a story of mere space survival or humanity’s destiny, however, this big-budget sci-fi picture has a contemplative nature that goes more for the cerebral. Despite featuring zero-g fights and moon pirates—yes, seriously—Ad Astra is a surprisingly nuanced and emotional sci-fi adventure.

Brad Pitt stars in Ad Astra. Twentieth Century Fox

The setting is that of a future in which space travel hasn’t exactly changed in technology but has changed in reach: humanity has expanded its exploration of the stars to have bases on the moon and Mars as well as space stations. Major Roy McBride (Brad Pitt), perhaps the most valued astronaut of the American government, feels so little while on the job that even the toughest situations of power surges and explosions don’t faze him. During a deadly accident on a space elevator, his heart rate remains calm while shutting off the power with fire above him, the Earth hundreds of miles below him, and screaming crew flying past him.

The solar system is experiencing waves of energy that are causing chaos across the galaxy. The government believes the source of this constant disturbance must be a lost space station around Neptune—on which was Roy’s father (Tommy Lee Jones), a man Roy both idolized and had a troubled past with. The powers that be, believing dear old dad will listen to his son more than anyone else, task Roy with heading off to Mars to send a message to his father and convince him to come home. Of course, there’s more to the story the government isn’t telling him.

Twentieth Century Fox

Throughout the picture, we stick with Roy from every mission assignment to his internal monologues. He speaks of his world in simple terms without calling too much attention to the more troubling aspects. In flashbacks, it’s revealed that he is distant from his wife, Eve (Liv Tyler), in both voice and touch, mostly out of unspoken fear. A constant routine for him is computerized psychological examinations, in which a programmed response system essentially monitors whether he feels anything. Even after a mission during which he watches someone have their face torn apart, his tests indicate he’s not thinking about it too much.

It isn’t until his fellow astronauts start revealing some important information that Roy starts to come to terms with himself. The helpful hands of Thomas Pruitt (Donald Sutherland), an old friend of Roy’s father, and Helen Lantos (Ruth Negga), a need-to-know-basis Mars scientist, push him forward into an introspective adventure that sees him question the battle between human progress and human nature.

Ruth Negga and Brad Pitt star in Ad Astra. Twentieth Century Fox

Ad Astra has no shortage of spectacle. The rustic future has a somber wonder, from its spaceflights to its commercial colonies on the moon. Even though the film places a greater focus on character, there’s still room for some unique action. A rover ride results in a situation that could seem like enough of a plot for one film by itself, a sort of Mad Max: Fury Road on the moon, but this is part of the brilliance within Ad Astra’s assembly. The world feels fully realized from its calming rooms on Mars to its lunar Subway sandwich stations, yet it never lets any of these theatrics distract from the greater tale of one man’s escape from himself. The further he ventures into space, the closer he comes to understand himself and his father, leading to surprisingly emotional climax that doesn’t end in a predictable drag-out fight.

One of the aspects I found most interesting within Roy is that he seems to exhibit traits akin to those of autism. His emotions are masked, his focus remains entirely on his mission, his words are literal, and his communication with others wavers. The film never outright states this condition, but as someone with autism, I felt the traits were relatable and the performance preferable to some we’ve seen in media because we spend more time with Roy rather than having outsiders analyze or pity him. This constant hold on his internal struggle with himself makes Roy one of Pitt’s finest performances ever.

Twentieth Century Fox

Ad Astra is an unforgettable experience for both its breathtaking special effects and for a story that takes a deeper dip into humanity past the old clichés about mankind and the stars. This isn’t just another trip to outer space that makes great use of the big screen but one that treats its characters with a contemplative nature rarely seen in such blockbusters. There’s little doubt that this film is going to be among my picks for the best of 2019.