Film Review: I.S.S.: Ariana DeBose Stars in an Intense and Watchable Film Set Aboard a Spacecraft [Tribeca 2023]

I.S.S. Review

I.S.S. (2023) Film Review from the 22nd Annual Tribeca Film Festival, a movie directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, written by Nick Shafir and starring Ariana DeBose, Chris Messina, John Gallagher Jr., Costa Ronin, Pilou Asbaek and Masha Mashkova.

I.S.S. sets itself around the International Space Station referred to in the film’s title. Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite has crafted a crackerjack thriller that is confined mostly to a single setting. Oscar winner Ariana DeBose serves as Kira Foster who alongside Christian (John Gallagher Jr.) seeks to get together with some Russian scientists in order to discover some exciting developments. Instead, Kira become involved in a tense game of cat-and-mouse as everybody aboard the film’s ship seems to be unsure of what they are doing once a message is sent to both the Russian and American characters in the picture which states that they are to take control of the I.S.S after chaos has ensued back on Earth.

DeBose, with short hair here, is one of our most relatable actresses and commands the audience’s respect and attention with her turn in this movie. No actress in her generation has the versatility DeBose has when it comes to being adaptable into almost any possible character. This part is unlike her true persona which viewers have witnessed at the Academy Awards and the Tony Awards. DeBose is a true original as an artist and succeeds many times over here as we root for her character throughout this film.

There are a few Russian characters who become suspicious as the plot develops and late in the movie, DeBose’s Kira must decide whether to trust the resident Russian woman on board, Weronika Vetrov (a very well-cast Masha Mashkova). Weronika could be trying to help Kira but Kira’s uncertainty moves the plot forward as audiences will be kept in suspense wondering what will happen next.

Chris Messina is also present front and center in the film’s story line as an American named Gordon who propels the plot forward when he sees a fire that will certainly shock audiences as Gordon initially sets out to repair the damaged spacecraft the film sets itself on.

John Gallagher Jr. is the most valuable player in terms of the male characters in the movie. He creates a character whose motives remain unclear to many of the other characters in the picture. When Kira asks him for a knife to cut her sandwich, director Cowperthwaite expertly builds suspense in an amazingly intense way. Gallagher Jr. can frighten the audience with the sheer unpredictability which he aptly brings to his role.

The lead character here, Kira, uses some rodents to experiment on and they help to bring the themes of I.S.S. into full view. I.S.S. is a nail-biting thriller for the whole second half of the film, though, and that’s what it will be remembered for most. That’s because we are not exactly sure what is going on back on Earth and the audience will certainly feel the confusion Kira and the other characters of the movie feel during the course of the events which occur throughout.

Gordon and Weronika’s characters also have a chemistry in the movie which ups the stakes and makes it harder to know who to trust. The themes of the movie are excellent but the execution falters a bit in the last scenes leaving viewers with an ending which is only moderately successful. The movie leaves a lot up to the viewer’s imagination but it’s hard to know how, exactly, the filmmaker could have ended the picture, if not this way. This is a cautionary tale and succeeds as such. It makes the viewer question the necessity of scientific experimentation when what’s going on at home on Earth doesn’t allow taking sides to be so easy. There’s a lot of complexity in the story line here and plenty of food for thought afterwards.

I.S.S. ultimately works thanks to DeBose’s terrific performance. She makes this role her own and is like the voice of reason throughout the picture. She feels like the one person in the movie that the audience can trust. This is due to the likability of DeBose and the fine writing of her character in a premise which is a bit undermined by its own ambitions.

Still, I.S.S. is a thrill ride that should definitely be taken. Movies like this could open up conversations about the premise and what could happen if this story was actually to occur in real-life. As unlikely as it is that this plot could happen, the fact that the movie plays out so realistically is a testament to its strength. You’ll be with DeBose’s character all the way through this picture and that’s why it’s a successful effort overall.

Rating: 7/10

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