Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s I.S.S. is the textbook definition of a situational thriller. You put a small group of characters inside the International Space Station. It’s an equal group of both Russian and American astronauts and all seems well at first as everyone’s jovial and getting to know one another. Then the Earth lights up as what appears to be a global war takes place and suddenly I.S.S. turns into a tension-fueled game of mental cat-and-mouse. With the stakes being life-or-death resulting in a quick moving sci-fi thriller that can certainly consume your imagination.
When the powder keg erupts and this group is given orders from their respected countries to gain control of the I.S.S. by any means necessary, this movie does turn into a compelling ride of putting yourselves in the shoes of these characters. To imagine what you would do in their positions, while also remaining relatively locked in to see what decisions they will ultimately make. This element of I.S.S. complemented with its tight runtime is what I think does enable this film to engage you from start-to-finish. There isn’t much backdrop to these characters, you get a quick sense of their personality-type, and from there what you learn about them is fed by their actions throughout the story.
It’s a small group of characters and the cast is more than able to bring the needed humanity to them. Ariana DeBose is a capable lead with natural decision making you can invest in. Chris Messina, John Gallagher Jr., Masha Mashkova, Costa Ronin, and Pilou Asæk all bring great performances as well. There are many layers of tension, posturing, and deceit that ignite inside this group once the war on Earth breaks out. And this cast is more than able to inject the needed emotional layering to give the entire concept a surprisingly grounded and a more authentic vibe to the plot that works well for its needs. This isn’t a flashy film; the characters aren’t overplayed either so the realism this provides is able to elevate the suspense nicely while also pulling you into the middle of the situation.
However, while I will admit the tension elevates well over time, I feel this movie relies too much on a tone of mental calculation. This would be more than fine in other instances. Yet with this short runtime, the necessary strings of drama aren’t really able to be sewn into the progression to land as effectively as intended. It almost makes this movie feel like an (expedited) journey of a space coup. An increased level of suspense, paired with quicker and more defining decision making would’ve worked better with this quicker pace to result in something a bit more primal and a bit more dialed-up in the suspense department to be more resonating.
This isn’t to say I.S.S. fails in its mission because there are more positives than negatives. The performances are strong, there’s just enough uncertainty in a few of the characters to weave elements of unpredictability, and the plot takes an adequate amount of turns. The concept of a war on Earth and only being able to see it from space was also a layer of this story that is sturdily thought provoking. The main issue is these characters for the most part keep their cool despite the severity of the situation. It’s an intriguing mind game but far from a riveting one. Who knows if this is how a scenario like this would proceed in real life. But for the sake of cinematic storytelling it entertains, but certainly lacks the gusto needed to fully pull you onto the edge of your seat.
Grade: 7.5/10
CAST: Ariana DeBose, Chris Messina, John Gallagher Jr., Masha Mashkova, Costa Ronin, Pilou Asæk DIRECTOR: Gabriela Cowperthwaite WRITER: Nick Shafir DISTRIBUTOR: Bleeker Street RUNNING TIME: 95 minutes RATING: R (For some violence and language) YEAR: 2023/2024 LANGUAGE: English GENRE: Sci-fi/Thriller
Anthony J. Digioia II © 2023 SilverScreen Analysis
