Christopher Nolan's acclaimed sci-fi epic Interstellar has perhaps been overshadowed by some of his other works over the years, but it's interesting to look back on it now as it celebrates its 10th anniversary. Meanwhile, one of its many stars, Oscar-winner Casey Affleck, is leading another mind-bending sci-fi feature that's hitting the masses this week. Slingshot is a much smaller-scale effort but also features some big names alongside Affleck, such as the legendary Laurence Fishburne and The Boys standout Tomer Capone (aka "Frenchie").
Compared to Fishburne's juicier roles over the years, such as Morpheus from The Matrix or the Bowery King in the John Wick films, Slingshot is a bit of a walk in the park for the 63-year-old. But he reliably brings a certain intensity to his questionable character here and, opposite the fully committed Casey Affleck, helps carry Slingshot despite its occasionally derivative nature. It also helps that director Mikael Håfström (Escape Plan, 1408) helms this psychological thriller set in space, so soak in the visionary delights here.
A Disjointed Journey to Titan
Let's send another crew to the moon, shall we? And if our own moon sounds overdone, what about a different planet's? Saturn, perhaps? That's the premise of the Slingshot script by R. Scott Adams and Nathan Parker, with the three-man crew headed toward Titan to collect natural resources to supplement Earth's dwindling supplies. The quaint title references a 'gravity assist,' a certain maneuver the crew may need to finagle with their embattled shuttle, utilizing the gravitational field of a planet to alter course without depleting the shuttle's own resources.
Through an artfully disjointed narrative, we slowly gather that ambitious astronaut John (Affleck) has decided to leave his lover Zoe (the excellent Emily Beecham) behind to join the shuttle overseen by Captain Franks (Fishburne), with their commander Napier (David Morrissey) keeping somewhat of a close eye on them back home. One of the kickers is that the mission will last years; not quite the length of McConaughey's Interstellar journey, but it's clear John will be facing a new life if he ever returns to the third rock from the sun.
Paranoia in Space
As danger aboard the shuttle presents itself in multiple unsettling ways, things start to turn eerily psychological — just as director Håfström's acclaimed Stephen King adaptation 1408 did back in 2007. It doesn't help that John and co-pilot Nash (a very entertaining Capone) are occasionally pumped full of hibernation drugs to stay sedated during long stretches of interstellar travel.
When they regain consciousness, Captain Franks — who starts walking around with a handgun, despite their protests — feeds them "facts" and updates which they don't exactly believe or see eye-to-eye with. Nash is a genius with Ph.D.'s under his belt and doesn't favor where the mission is headed for various reasons, but the pompous yes-man Franks tries to reassure them that all is well. But of course it isn't, and the film draws on many older classics in creating tension toward its climax.
A Divisive Ending to a Fun but Derivative Film
Astronauts potentially losing their marbles in space is well-trodden territory, from Sam Rockwell's underrated indie thriller Moon (2009) to the Andrei Tarkovsky masterpiece, Solaris (and Steven Soderbergh's excellent remake). Those are obviously better films that Slingshot seems to crib from, but sci-fi die-hards will still likely find this to be satisfying fan service that can tide them over until the next addition. It's more of a thematic aperitif until something better, but it's a very interesting one thanks to Håfström's interesting structuring and visuals.
If nothing else, the committed and emotionally charged performances by Affleck, Beecham, and Capone maintain a certain fiery momentum as their livelihoods are threatened. And having a captain played by Fishburne, channeling his gravitast as he struts the spaceship with a certain sinister presence, never fails to stir the pot. The film's final image may cause you to heave your popcorn at the screen depending on your sensibilities, or will at least instigate chatter among your cinephile pals. But sometimes, that's enough to satisfy a Friday night craving for genre cinema.
From Bleecker Street, Slingshot will be released in theaters on Aug. 30, 2024.
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