by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
How long can you live in isolation? Humans went through the pandemic, an instance where many of us were forced into the most isolation that we have experienced in our whole lives. Some thrive and others struggle deeply with this unexpected isolation. Cut off from family and friends for prolonged periods of time. At least you could be a drive away or even a plane ride. But what about being stuck in space? The need to be a lone wolf to survive in that type of isolation with so much distance between you and your loved ones is an insane test of your will and discipline. That isolation could even send you over the edge. That is the fear in Mikael Håfström’s latest science fiction thriller, Slingshot.
Does the screenplay from R. Scott Adams and Nathan Parker spin a compelling story? That setup seems ripe for thriller elements with (what seems to be) a simple premise. Three men stuck on a space voyage to slingshot around Jupiter to get to Saturn’s moon, Titan. But for some ungodly reason the medication that is needed for hibernation onboard can cause serious mental health breaks and hallucinations. That seems to be the worst possible thing to do to a group of humans on an isolated ship out in the middle of space. If you think that is the dumbest thing to come out of this film… you got another thing coming. Casey Affleck is John, the protagonist, who had a woman he loved, Zoe (Emily Beecham), but he chose this mission over her. His increasing hallucinations and memories focus almost entirely on her. Unfortunately, this relationship never really clicks on screen, so it makes it hard to invest. But the wildest aspect of this shaky thriller is the grouping of twists in the third act. This film loses all reason and goes completely off the rails. The reveals are a wholly unsatisfying combination of nonsense and clichés, which leaves you feeling hollow once those credits start to roll.
How about the filmmaking led by Håfström? He generates some quality suspense and tension. The closed production is unnerving in that manner, and Håfström finds ways to leverage that. There is an uncomfortable amount of light on this ship (save for a room or two), and that just helps capture the discomfort of this first mission. Some visual elements are a lot, with an overly glossy and dreamlike lens, and the lighting can be arresting and take you out of the film. But the biggest struggle for direction is keeping a steady tone. There is one set at the beginning of the, film and that is of a serious science fiction thriller. But there is atrociously bad comic relief at times, making for some of the lowest lows from the script. The dialogue can be so hard to understand that it takes a long time to wrap up what you all are doing. Laurence Fishburne (the captain of the ship) is such a great performer (more on that later), but he leans into a campiness that just doesn’t vibe with Håfström’s tone. There are too many elements in the film that are serious, but they’re undercut by more silly moments.
Does the cast at least capture something significant for this messy and frustrating film? Affleck is surprisingly bad in it. His basic line deliveries just don’t land. There are moments where Affleck’s reactions are so bad that they will make you laugh out loud. That is not a great look for the protagonist of your tale. Fishburne is great as always, because he can always find the little elements in a performance to feel authentic and real. But there are some moments that he plays quite campily, and they have an odd vibe. Even more importantly, the performance he provides just screams something nefarious. There is no surprise where the film goes after he starts singing “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” The telegraphing of character choices is just strange. Tomer Capone nails the physicality of his performance and some solid line work. The character of Zoe is quite forgotten and should be a much bigger part in the story, but she falls flat quickly.
Is Slingshot a cool and thrilling new space movie? Honestly, it really comes down to the finale. There are such crazy and shocking plot twists, yet they’re not fresh, because these classic tropes have been overdone at this point. There is nothing shocking or of consequence in this large-scope tale, and a clunky and off-kilter lead performance doesn’t help with that. But the question, as always, is… do you roll down the windows?
Rating: Didn’t Like It
Slingshot is currently playing in theaters
You can read more from Shane Conto, and follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd