During a research mission, an astronaut discovers that his marriage is in trouble. Luckily, he has the help of a mysterious creature hidden in his ship.
In director Johan Renck’s science fiction fantasy “Spaceman,” adapted from Jaroslav Kalfař’s 2017 novel Spaceman of Bohemia, viewers are taken on a philosophical journey into the depths of one man’s self-inflicted loneliness that manifests as a nightmarish friendship with a giant space spider. It takes a lot of guts to attempt a screen adaptation of such an abstract story, but Renck pulls it off, mostly with the help of a strong lead performance from Adam Sandler.
Dubbed “the loneliest man in the world,” Jakub (Sandler) is six months into a solitary mission to investigate a mysterious phenomenon that lies on the edge of the solar system. Realizing the wife (Carey Mulligan) and marriage he left behind will likely not be there waiting upon his return, his desperation to repair the relationship grows. One day, Jakub discovers a giant alien spider he calls Hanuš (voice of Paul Dano) hiding in the ship. With the new companion on board, he develops an unlikely kinship and intense emotional bond with the creature.
This is a story about two lonely travelers who find comfort in each other. They share deeply profound conversations about the nature and meaning of life, love, death, and the sting of regret and grief that can overpower a person’s existence. Jakub’s ambition has destroyed his life and his relationship, and his grip on reality is drifting away (there possibility is left open for viewers to decide if Hanuš is imaginary or indeed real). The spider can somehow read Jakub’s mind and access his life’s memories, and there’s a lot of hurt and emotional turmoil that’s been building up for decades. It’s a story of what it means to be human, but also one of companionship and mutual understanding.
The effects crew did a bang-up job animating Hanuš, and the spider looks and feels real both physically (with his glossy eyes and hairy body) and emotionally (thanks to a moving voice performance from Dano). The spider is authentic with sympathy and companionship, and the friendship that develops between Hanuš and Jakub, whom he affectionately calls “skinny human,” is genuine. Sandler is an accomplished dramatic actor (something that’s easy to forget), and he is absolutely great here, depicting a tormented soul that’s well-worn with loneliness.
Pensive and poignant, “Spaceman” isn’t going to be for everyone. There’s no denying that it’s a very weird film, but there is an abundance of thoughtful reflection about the struggle with confronting loneliness that’s told in a highly creative way.
