Movie · 2019 · Science Fiction, Drama · 2h 3m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 4.8/10 (725.1K ratings)
The answers we seek are just outside our reach.
Overview
The near future, a time when both hope and hardships drive humanity to look to the stars and beyond. While a mysterious phenomenon menaces to destroy life on planet Earth, astronaut Roy McBride undertakes a mission across the immensity of space and its many perils to uncover the truth about a lost expedition that decades before boldly faced emptiness and silence in search of the unknown.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.8/10
IMDb: 6.5/10
Letterboxd: 3.36/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Metacritic: 80
TMDB: 6.1/10
Director
James Gray
Production
New Regency Productions, MadRiver Pictures, Plan B Entertainment, RT Features, Bona Film Group, TSG Entertainment
Cast
Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Liv Tyler, Ruth Negga, Donald Sutherland, Kimberly Elise, Loren Dean, Donnie Keshawarz, Sean Blakemore, Bobby Nish, LisaGay Hamilton, John Finn, John Ortiz, Freda Foh Shen, Kayla Adams, Ravi Kapoor, Elisa Perry, Daniel Sauli, Kimmy Shields, Kunal Dudheker
Where to watch
fuboTV, FXNow
Curator Review
Verdict
A meditative, visually controlled space odyssey that uses a rescue mission to explore emotional distance, paternal damage, and the cost of stoicism. It may feel chilly or over-explanatory to some, but its craft, mood, and Brad Pitt’s restrained performance make it a strong watch for viewers open to introspective sci-fi.
Best for
Viewers who like cerebral, melancholy science fiction
Fans of slow-burn character studies
People drawn to existential themes and father-son stories
Viewers who appreciate polished cinematography and sound design
Skip if
You want fast-paced, plot-heavy space adventure
You dislike voiceover or emotionally restrained protagonists
You prefer warm, ensemble-driven sci-fi
You need clear, conventional storytelling with minimal ambiguity
Overview
Ad Astra is less interested in spectacle than in psychic weather. James Gray turns a mission to the edge of the solar system into a study of loneliness, duty, and the inheritance of emotional damage, with Brad Pitt giving the film its haunted center. The result is a space movie that feels intimate even when it’s staring into the void.
Worth noting
Its biggest strength is atmosphere: the clean, severe imagery, the controlled pacing, and the soundscape that makes silence feel like a threat. When it works, the film has a rare gravity, finding something bruised and human inside the machinery of futurism. It’s also willing to be mournful in a way most studio sci-fi avoids.
Bottom line
That said, the film’s interiority can become self-conscious, especially when the narration spells out what the images already suggest. Some viewers will find that frustrating, even alienating. But if you respond to sci-fi as a vehicle for grief, estrangement, and emotional reckoning, this is a rewarding and distinctive entry in the genre.
Top Letterboxd reviews
siobhan (4.5★) · 5460 likes
brad astra👨🏼 was a lil sad astra😣 about his dad astra🧔🏻 who went a bit mad astra🤪 and i’m just glad astra😍 that it was rad astra🤟🏼😎
davidehrlich (4.5★) · 3580 likes
Neil Armstrong, a man better remembered for being first than he is for being funny, once said that his greatest regret was that “my work required an enormous amount of my time, and a lot of travel.” It’s a bittersweet line from a taciturn giant who always tended to find the right words; an admission of deep sadness coated inside the candied shell of a solid quip. But while no one expects an Armstrong quote to make them laugh, some… more Neil Armstrong, a man better remembered for being first than he is for being funny, once said that his greatest regret was that “my work required an enormous amount of my time, and a lot of travel.” It’s a bittersweet line from a taciturn giant who always tended to find the right words; an admission of deep sadness coated inside the candied shell of a solid quip. But while no one expects an Armstrong quote to make them laugh, some… more
Patrick Willems (4.5★) · 2953 likes
More like rAD mASTRApiece
Crash Jatcko (1.5★) · 1880 likes
These are my least favorite kind of bad movies--the ones that seem like good movies. They think if they get an actor we've heard of and surround him by sage-seeming old guys, a teary-eyed woman, throw in a lifeless color palette, and aggressively-dramatic score, that we'll all feel like we're watching a good movie. And then, for good measure, have...everyone...talk...so...slowly...so it seems like they...have...something...important...to...say.
It's a little insulting.
If you strip it down to its plot, this is basically the… more