Movies: The Astronaut (2025) by Jess Varley: A claustrophobic sci-fi horror about isolation, paranoia, and what follows us home
- dailyentertainment95
- Oct 17
- 4 min read
She didn’t come back to Earth alone
The Astronaut (2025) is a sci-fi psychological horror written and directed by Jess Varley, starring Kate Mara, Laurence Fishburne, and Gabriel Luna.
After completing her first mission in space, Captain Sam Walker (Mara) crash-lands back on Earth and is placed under strict quarantine by General William Harris (Fishburne) for rehabilitation and observation. But as unexplained phenomena begin to occur in her isolated recovery house, Sam becomes convinced that something alien — and alive — has returned with her.
Part cerebral thriller, part extraterrestrial horror, The Astronaut explores the thin line between trauma, transformation, and terror — questioning what happens when the human mind meets the unknowable.
Why to Recommend: A human story wrapped in cosmic dread
Kate Mara’s intense performance: Her restrained, fragile portrayal grounds the film’s escalating horror in emotional realism.
Atmospheric direction: Varley crafts a minimalist yet suspenseful world — sterile, quiet, and suffocating.
Psychological depth: Beyond its extraterrestrial hook, the film studies isolation, PTSD, and the fear of contamination — both physical and emotional.
Summary: The Astronaut is not just about alien horror — it’s about how space changes people, and how coming home can be the most terrifying journey of all.
Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-astronaut (US), https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/the-astronaut (UK)
Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13964560/
About movie: https://highlandfilmgroup.com/movies/the-astronaut
What is the Trend Followed: Slow-burn cosmic horror and psychological realism
Following the lineage of Arrival, Under the Skin, and Annihilation, The Astronaut taps into the growing appetite for introspective sci-fi that blends cosmic mystery with human fragility.
Cosmic isolation: The terror of returning from space mirrors post-pandemic anxieties about reintegration and contamination.
Slow-burn storytelling: A continuation of the trend toward mood-driven horror where silence and suggestion matter more than spectacle.
Female-led sci-fi resurgence: Part of a wave of psychologically rich, women-centered space narratives (Proximity, I Am Mother).
Minimalist world-building: Low-budget, high-concept storytelling emphasizing tension over effects.
Psychological authenticity: Reflects modern interest in blending science fiction with trauma and recovery narratives.
Summary: The Astronaut belongs to a new generation of sci-fi thrillers that use the unknown as a mirror for the self.
Director’s Vision: Isolation as revelation
Writer-director Jess Varley turns a contained premise into an intimate chamber piece, exploring what it means to be human after encountering the alien.
Tonal influence: Draws from the quiet dread of Solaris and the emotional intimacy of Arrival.
Visual palette: Muted whites, harsh lighting, and cold metallic tones emphasize sterility and alien intrusion.
Psychological framing: The camera often lingers uncomfortably close, blurring the line between medical procedure and spiritual violation.
Symbolic storytelling: The extraterrestrial presence becomes an external metaphor for internal infection — guilt, grief, or trauma taking physical form.
Minimal exposition: The horror unfolds through suggestion and atmosphere rather than overt explanation.
Summary: Varley’s film isn’t about first contact — it’s about after-contact, when the mind becomes the new frontier of fear.
Themes: Survival, identity, and the fear of contamination
Isolation and mental breakdown: The loneliness of quarantine mirrors the existential void of space.
The alien within: What if the true threat isn’t what followed her home, but what she brought back inside herself?
Gender and control: A woman’s body becomes the site of both scientific study and supernatural invasion.
Memory and trauma: Questions whether her “visions” are extraterrestrial or symptoms of repressed memory.
Trust and surveillance: Highlights how institutions exploit trauma under the guise of protection.
Summary: Beneath its horror, The Astronaut is a story about possession, both psychological and political.
Key Success Factors: Tension, minimalism, and emotional focus
Performance-driven narrative: Kate Mara anchors the film with vulnerability and restraint.
Laurence Fishburne’s gravitas: His commanding presence adds weight to the film’s moral ambiguity.
Atmospheric design: Sparse, clinical sets intensify the claustrophobia of post-return confinement.
Sound design: Pulsing hums, echoes, and static mimic the haunting void of space — and the noise of paranoia.
Practical over digital: Limited CGI lends credibility and intimacy to the horror.
Summary: The Astronaut uses its limited scope to its advantage — turning confinement into cinematic tension.
Critical Reception: Divided but intrigued
The Hollywood Reporter: “A moody psychological sci-fi that reaches for Solaris but lands somewhere between Under the Skin and The Thing.”
Heaven of Horror: “A restrained and eerie thriller — worth watching for Mara’s performance alone.”
Variety: “Visually striking, conceptually thin; a director with ambition and a cast giving more than the material.”
Audience reaction: Mixed — praised for atmosphere, criticized for pacing and a vague final act.
Summary: Critics commend its ambition and tone, even as its script leaves audiences wanting more clarity.
Audience Response: Atmospheric, polarizing, and slow-burning
Sci-fi purists: Appreciate the film’s psychological focus and ambiguity.
Mainstream viewers: Divided — some found it haunting, others too slow and underdeveloped.
General consensus: Great premise, uneven execution, strong lead performance.
Quote from viewer review: “By the last 30 minutes I was completely intrigued — the suspense was killing me. It’s slow but worth the ride.”
Summary: A film that lingers more in mood than memory, but rewards patience with eerie atmosphere.
Industry Trend: The rise of minimalist sci-fi horror
Following successes like The Vast of Night and I Am Mother, The Astronaut exemplifies how indie filmmakers are redefining science fiction through psychological realism and small-scale storytelling. It reflects the industry’s shift toward affordable, emotionally intimate cosmic stories that prioritize tension over spectacle.
Cultural Trend: The new fear of the unknown — inside us
In an era obsessed with contagion, surveillance, and alienation, The Astronaut embodies the modern anxiety of bringing the unknown home. It’s less about monsters from space than about what space — isolation, confinement, and silence — does to the human psyche.
Final Verdict: Moody, imperfect, but memorably unsettling
The Astronaut (2025) is a haunting, minimalist take on post-space horror — an eerie, introspective look at alien contact and human fragility. Though uneven in pacing and payoff, Jess Varley’s direction and Kate Mara’s grounded performance elevate the material into an atmospheric meditation on fear and identity.Verdict: Chilling in tone, intimate in scale — a cosmic ghost story for the age of isolation.
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