2023 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
When a world-altering event takes place on earth, the Russian and American astronauts working at the International Space Station (I.S.S.) are told that their plans have changed. They are ordered to stop what they are doing and gain control of the space station–by any means necessary. Now their loyalties and their lives are in question, and what comes next is anyone’s guess. Do they have the strength to save themselves and the ones around them?
There’s no doubt, just seconds in, that I.S.S. is all about the fragility of mankind and how quickly we are willing to turn on others for our own benefit (or because we are told to). The narrative has harrowing similarities to the world in which we live. No, we aren’t up at the International Space Station, but we are struggling to understand who to trust and how to survive. I.S.S. reminds us that we are all fragile, and that one event, just one small thing can change the way we view the world. I.S.S. examines the human mind and does all that it can to teach us about ourselves and the people around us. The narrative, as troubling and harrowing as it can be, is beautiful–because it’s honest.
What must have been done to create these sets and to create the illusion that these individuals are actually floating around in zero gravity I can’t even imagine. The attention to detail in every facet of the film is stunning, making I.S.S. aesthetically beautiful–but it also allows all other parts of the film to shine as well.
Constant whirring noises become deafening throughout the course of the film. The film remains otherworldly in the sense that most viewers have never been in a situation like depicted on screen–and, of course, because it occurs in space. This noise is unrelenting and it plays a role in developing drama throughout the course of I.S.S. Sound extends beyond just the whirring however, to every corner of the film–creating drama, passion, confusion, and more. As the film climaxes the powerful sounds of the piano heighten the intensity of the film–and that becomes one of the most beautiful moments of the entire production. I.S.S. is powerful in many ways, but the way it uses sound to create emotion and drive the film forward might just have been the most impressive aspect of the entirety of I.S.S..
Everything blends together to create something incredibly intense and powerful–manifesting something that mirrors our reality in so many ways. I.S.S. breaks down the human psyche and puts on display a series of behaviors that we may not always recognize in ourselves and/or others, but that exist nonetheless. Using stellar sets, spectacular sound, and out-of-this-world acting, I.S.S. finds ways to resonate with viewers from the opening moments. What allows I.S.S. to flourish from beginning to end is the attention to detail by Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite, and she allows this film to grow into something grand and powerful.
Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite.
Written by Nick Shafir.
Starring Ariana DeBose, Chris Messina, John Gallagher Jr., Masha Mashkova, Costa Ronin, & Pilou Asbaek.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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