Diverting from his typical comedic scene, Adam Sandler stars as an astronaut exploring space in the new Netflix film, “Spaceman,” released on Friday, March 1. In this dramatized film, Sandler struggles to keep the relationship with his wife afloat and meets a stowaway creature that becomes a close friend during his journey.
Sandler’s character, Jakob Procházka, is six months into his exploration trip to study and sample a huge, cosmic purple cloud. While one could assume how lonely it is to travel space alone, it is made obvious during a video conference he has with the Euro Space Program. Towards the end of the video conference, sixth grader Anna, played by Sunny Sandler, asks: “I read that you’re the loneliest man in the world… does it make you sad to be so far away?”
In the first 10 minutes of the film, viewers learn that Procházka’s main struggle is being unable to contact his wife. However, he is unaware that his pregnant wife Lenka, played by Carey Mulligan, has already sent a video message to the Euro Space Program stating she wants to leave him.
People may easily jump to the conclusion that it was wrong for Lenka to leave her husband during his lonely space journey, but that is not the case. While Procházka feels lonely in space, it is apparent by piecing together flashbacks and how Lenka is currently doing that she has felt alone for almost the entirety of their relationship. Procházka had left her multiple times, failed to be there for her in her times of need and did not keep the promises he made her.
Most of this comes into light once Procházka meets a stowaway creature that snuck into his ship: a human-sized spider. Initially, Procházka isn’t fond of the spider as it continuously asks questions about Procházka’s relationship with Lenka, which contributes to him having flashbacks of moments he buried deep and times Lenka needed his support. Later, as the two develop a deeper, unexpected friendship, Procházka names the creature Hanuś.
Hanuś helps Procházka realize that while he loves Lenka, he has never taken the time to understand or appreciate her. This parallel is noticeable between the beginning and end of Hanuś and Procházka’s friendship as Procházka truly takes the time to understand and know who Hanuś is.
“Everything is permanent, yet nothing ever is,” said Hanuś as he and Procházka explored the cosmic purple dust cloud.
“Spaceman” is similar to most astronaut sci-fi films where the protagonists are alone, uncovering their own mental blockers. However, it is different by having a human-sized spider as a supporting protagonist. While it was questionable at first, it ended up being a great choice. Sometimes, the things that seem the most terrifying hold the answers to what we are searching for.
For those who have arachnophobia, this may not be the film for you. But, if you believe you can prevail, it will be rewarding to understand the movie’s message. While the film is a completely different genre than others Sandler has starred in, it is worth the watch.
Review: 3.5/5