Review: In the sluggish space psychodrama ‘Slingshot,’ no one can hear you snooze

As a movie lover with over three decades of cinematic experiences under my belt, I must confess that “Slingshot” left me feeling rather disoriented and somewhat adrift. This space-travel thriller, directed by Mikael Håfström, had the potential to soar among the stars but instead seemed to be tethered to Earth by a weak script and lackluster execution.

In the movie “Slingshot,” directed by Mikael Håfström, the title symbolizes a daring spacecraft movement using orbital mechanics. The astronauts, traveling over a billion and a half miles to Saturn’s moon Titan, require a gravity assist from Jupiter’s speed for their journey, which is the “slingshot.” They are heading to Titan because it’s the second celestial body known to have liquid on its surface. Their aim is to gather methane found there as a potential source of clean energy to combat climate change on Earth.

Although it might appear that the story revolves around an active premise, this film centered on Casey Affleck’s psychological exploration is more of an endurance test. The narrative doesn’t focus on the slingshot or the methane gas, or even climate change, but rather on the struggles and hardships of the journey itself. To survive their multi-year voyage, the crew must enter a three-month-long hibernation-like state, their sleep aided by powerful drugs that leave them disoriented and confused each time they are awakened to perform tasks.

On the perilous mission, John (Affleck), a determined pilot who overcame tough selection hurdles, frequently wrestles with wistful fantasies of his past love, Zoe (Emily Beecham), the innovative architect of the advanced spacecraft. In his sleep, he often dreams of Zoe enveloped in bed linens, and upon awakening, he battles through mental haze to distinguish reality from illusion, or argues with his crewmates over their instructions.

The predicament between Captain Franks (Laurence Fishburne) and scientist Nash (Tomer Capone), along with John, worsens significantly due to their deteriorating mental well-being after numerous challenging hibernation phases. A mysterious incident causing ship damage, possibly due to structural strain, arises, leading to disagreement between Franks who insists on completing the mission, and Nash who proposes a return. John finds himself in a difficult position amidst this central conflict. However, “Slingshot” is a film that tends to induce sleepiness, with a drowsy Affleck navigating a spaceship for much of its duration.

In the story, as Nash plants the idea of rebellion, Frank tries to regain power through violent means, employing both physical strength and psychological tactics. It’s reminiscent of the movie “Gaslight” set in space, where Fishburne takes on the role of Charles Boyer while Affleck portrays Ingrid Bergman. Screenwriters R. Scott Adams and Nathan Parker opt to present a series of twists rather than exploring deeper themes, keeping the narrative from becoming too dull or sleepy.

The desire to know what’s real and what’s not sustains enough mild interest to keep us engaged, but the continual flashbacks to a syrupy and unconvincing romance, in which John and Zoe lie on the floor talking about moths, have a devastating effect on the momentum. The terrific Beecham is saddled with a dismal hairdo and an even more dismal role, her character simply an object of wan yearning for the drowsy John. Affleck seems lethargic even in flashback, and is entirely implausible as a hot-shot pilot in his late 30s. He sleepwalks through this film in more ways than one.

Håfström’s approach lacks pace, and while the hibernation pods have some beautiful lighting, the way he handles John’s hallucinations is quite predictable and ordinary. There’s nothing particularly engaging about the movie beyond Fishburne’s performance, which is the only truly compelling aspect. Unfortunately, even this is reminiscent of his iconic character Morpheus from “The Matrix.” In spite of its numerous plot twists, “Slingshot” fails to show any signs of vitality.

Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

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2024-08-29 21:01