I think this is probably the only film that made me jump out of my seat when I read its title – I.S.S. However, on re-reading it I realized it is I.S.S. as in the International Space Station and not ISIS, the terrorist organization. Apparently, the film is a space thriller that is directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite and stars Ariana DeBose, Masha Mashkova, Chris Messina, Pilou Asbaek and John Gallagher Jr. The film focuses on a group of USA and Russian astronauts working in harmony at the International Space Station. However, all hell breaks loose when the two nations launch nuclear war on each other back on Earth.
Sounds awesome, right? Well, as good as the premise maybe, the film apparently is a mess, which is why it makes sense for it to have a January release date. Keep reading for the critics’ reviews.
I.S.S. Reviews: Mixed Reactions All Over The Place!
I.S.S. has more or less received terrible reviews from critics. Some have even used statements like it is a poor man’s Gravity. However, there are those who have also praised the film’s unique premise. Although, the Gabriela Cowperthwaite directorial fails to live up to the intrigue that the premise promises. At the time of writing, I.S.S. has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 67% from 74 reviews and an IMDb score of 5.6/10. Read the critics’ reviews below:
Peter Travers (ABC News) – “Ariana DeBose and Chris Messina excel in this space thriller that sizzles with Russia vs America tension but all too predictably fizzles into a mild ride that is better than you might expect while falling way short of the wonder it so wants to inspire.”
Anthony Lane (New Yorker) – “As a thriller, regrettably, “I.S.S.” fails to fulfill its mission. Any air of plausibility soon leaks out of the plot, and the whole thing drifts into silliness, tricked out with familiar tropes.”
Kyle Smith (Wall Street Journal) – “At its best, it combines an exploration of awe-inspiring technical detail with breathless suspense as convincingly as Alfonso Cuarón’s “Gravity” did a decade ago.”
Richard Roeper (Chicago Sun-Times) – “…it feels as if we’re getting another memorable entry in the genre, but the final act devolves into a formulaic space thriller…” Original Score: 2.5/4
Jake Coyle (Associated Press) – “The Cold War movie may be alive, again… It’s an intriguing premise that I.S.S. can’t translate into a coherent thriller.” Original Score: 2/4
Richard Whittaker (Austin Chronicle) – “For a film with such weighty aspirations, I.S.S. lacks gravity.” Original Score: 2/5
Dominic Baez (Seattle Times) – “I.S.S. may be a bit untethered, unsure of what it wants to be and what it wants to say, but it’s worth the voyage regardless.” Original Score: 2.5/4
Manohla Dargis (New York Times) – “Consistently watchable and sometimes tense but, despite some twists, largely unsurprising.”
Nick Schager (The Daily Beast) – “A pedestrian thriller that never generates a modicum of suspense.”
Randy Myers (San Jose Mercury News) – “The sharp-edged premise makes its bloody point well while the cast headed by Oscar winner Ariana DeBose and Chris Messina make us care about what happens in space and on the ground.” Original Score: 3/4
Courtney Howard (AV Club) – “As Alien’s tagline reads, “In space no one can hear you scream”—but maybe the I.S.S. filmmakers will hear the audience scream out of pure frustration.” Original Score: D+
Dylan Roth (Observer) – “Cowperthwaite successfully turns the I.S.S. into a sweaty pressure cooker, but what’s she actually cooking? Not much, unfortunately.” Original Score: 2/4
Mick LaSalle (San Francisco Chronicle) – “It’s another sci-fi film whose default is hopelessness. Still, “I.S.S.” is trim, concise and respectable, and it has an appealing cast.” Original Score: 2.5/4
Barry Hertz (Globe and Mail) – “A movie so dumb that it has tricked itself into thinking it is smart enough to be self-knowingly stupid, the new astronaut thriller I.S.S. is a true waste of inner and outer space.”
Michael O’Sullivan (Washington Post) – “Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite… skillfully grounds the somewhat far-fetched goings-on in the divisiveness of the real world.” Original Score: 2.5/4
Eric Francisco (Inverse) – “Galvanic and compact, I.S.S. is a middleweight thriller whose pressure-cooker plot heats up to a satisfying boil.”
Meagan Navarro (Bloody Disgusting) – “Cowperthwaite’s direction and a committed cast ensure a briskly paced thriller that injects enough narrative surprises and well-staged standoffs to keep you entertained throughout, even if the stakes are never quite as high as the setup suggests.” Original Score: 3/5
Alonso Duralde (The Film Verdict) – “The film doesn’t stop to give the six characters time for major exposition and backstory, which would only get in the way of the film’s B-movie sensibility. Luckily, this is a strong enough ensemble to fill in any blanks along the way.”
Justin Clark (Slant Magazine) – “The film is in such a rush to get to the bloodshed, deception, and panic that most of the fertile ground of its premise goes unexplored.” Original Score: 2/4
Michael Nordine (Variety) – ““I.S.S.” isn’t subtle in its foreshadowing of what’s to come, but it is effective.”
I.S.S. is playing in theatres near you.
If you have any questions regarding I.S.S., feel free to ask in the comments below and stay tuned. As usual, like, subscribe and share our articles as we here are trying to build a community of people High on Cinema!
