Ad Astra (2019) Movie Review: A Meditative Journey Through Space and Self

Ad Astra (2019): A Journey to the Stars That's Really About Coming Home

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

I'll be honest - I went into Ad Astra expecting another generic space adventure. What I got instead was one of the most introspective and emotionally complex sci-fi films I've seen in years. This isn't your typical popcorn space flick; it's a meditation on loneliness, family, and what it means to be human when you're literally floating in the void.

Brad Pitt plays Roy McBride, an astronaut whose legendary father disappeared on a mission to Neptune sixteen years ago. When mysterious power surges threaten Earth, Roy gets pulled into a mission that takes him across the solar system - and forces him to confront the ghost of his father and his own emotional isolation.

The Space Odyssey We Didn't Know We Needed

Director James Gray has crafted something really special here. This isn't Star Wars or Marvel - it's more like if Terrence Malick decided to make a space movie. Every frame is gorgeous, every moment feels deliberate, and the pacing... well, let's just say it's not for everyone.

The film takes its sweet time, and I mean that as a compliment. In our age of rapid-fire editing and constant action, Ad Astra dares to let scenes breathe. When Roy is traveling through space, we actually feel the vast emptiness, the crushing loneliness of being that far from home. Some people might find it boring; I found it hypnotic.

What really caught me off guard was how grounded everything feels despite being set in the near future. The moon has commercial flights and Subway restaurants (yes, really), Mars has research bases, and space travel, while still dangerous, has become almost routine. It's not the sleek, clean future of most sci-fi films - it's messy, corporate, and weirdly familiar.

Brad Pitt's Quiet Powerhouse Performance

This might be some of Pitt's best work, and that's saying something. Roy McBride is a man who's built his entire identity around being calm, controlled, and emotionally stable. He's literally the guy they call when everything's going wrong because nothing fazes him.

But as the story unfolds, we see the cracks in that facade. Pitt plays Roy's internal struggle with incredible subtlety - this isn't a role full of big emotional outbursts or dramatic speeches. Instead, it's all in the eyes, the slight changes in posture, the way his voice wavers just a little when he thinks no one's listening.

The film is structured around Roy's psychological evaluations, where he speaks directly to the camera (and us) about his mental state. These moments could have felt gimmicky, but Pitt sells them completely. You believe this is a man slowly coming apart at the seams while trying desperately to hold it together.

A Father-Son Story Written in the Stars

At its core, Ad Astra is about daddy issues on a cosmic scale. Roy's father, Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones), was a legendary astronaut who left for Neptune when Roy was young and never came back. Roy has spent his entire life trying to live up to this absent father's legacy while simultaneously resenting him for abandoning the family.

The film explores how that abandonment shaped Roy into someone who keeps everyone at arm's length. He's so afraid of becoming like his father - of hurting the people he loves by leaving them - that he's already emotionally left them. It's a painful paradox that many people will recognize from their own lives.

When Roy finally confronts his father on Neptune, it's not the reunion either of them expected. Without spoiling anything, I'll just say that sometimes the people we build up in our minds turn out to be much smaller and more human than we imagined.

Visual Poetry in Motion

Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema (who also shot Interstellar and Dunkirk) has created something absolutely stunning here. The shots of space aren't just beautiful - they serve the story. The vastness emphasizes Roy's isolation, the darkness reflects his mental state, and the occasional moments of light and color feel earned and meaningful.

There's a sequence on the moon that's both thrilling and terrifying, involving lunar rovers and space pirates (yes, space pirates). It sounds ridiculous on paper, but Gray shoots it with such intensity and realism that it becomes genuinely edge-of-your-seat exciting.

The production design deserves special mention too. This future feels lived-in and realistic. Spaceships look like they've been used, space stations feel cramped and industrial, and everything has a slightly worn, practical quality that makes the world believable.

Where It Stumbles

Ad Astra isn't perfect, and I think its biggest weakness is also one of its strengths: the pacing. This movie moves slowly, very slowly. There are long stretches where not much happens except Roy thinking and traveling through space. If you're looking for constant action, you're going to be disappointed.

Some of the side plot elements feel underdeveloped. There's a subplot involving Roy's wife (Liv Tyler) that never quite gets the attention it deserves. And while the psychological evaluation device works well, it sometimes feels like the film is over-explaining things that we could figure out from Pitt's performance.

The film also raises some interesting questions about its future world - the commercialization of space, the ethics of long-term space missions, the psychological toll of isolation - but doesn't always explore them as deeply as I would have liked.

Why This Movie Matters Right Now

There's something about Ad Astra that feels particularly relevant to our current moment. Roy's struggle with isolation, his difficulty connecting with other people, his obsession with work as a way to avoid dealing with emotions - these feel like very modern problems.

The film came out in 2019, but watching it now, it hits differently. After years of social distancing and isolation, Roy's emotional distance feels more relatable. His journey toward reconnection, toward choosing human connection over personal achievement, feels more urgent.

It's also refreshing to see a sci-fi film that's more interested in internal space than outer space. While Roy travels millions of miles through the solar system, his real journey is inward, toward understanding himself and what really matters.

The Technical Brilliance

Max Richter's score deserves special recognition. It's haunting and beautiful, perfectly complementing the film's meditative pace. The music never overwhelms the visuals or emotions; instead, it enhances them, creating an almost hypnotic viewing experience.

The sound design is incredible too. Space is silent, and the film respects that. When Roy is floating in the void, we hear his breathing, his heartbeat, the small mechanical sounds of his equipment. It creates an intimacy that draws you into his experience.

Final Thoughts

Ad Astra won't be for everyone. It's slow, contemplative, and more interested in character development than plot mechanics. But if you're willing to meet it on its own terms, it's a deeply rewarding experience.

This is the kind of science fiction that reminds you why the genre exists - not just to show us cool technology or alien worlds, but to explore what makes us human. Roy's journey through space becomes a journey through grief, abandonment, and ultimately, hope.

In a landscape dominated by franchise filmmaking and CGI spectacle, Ad Astra feels like a throwback to the thoughtful sci-fi of the 1970s. It's a film that trusts its audience to think and feel, rather than just react.

Bottom Line: Ad Astra is a beautiful, meditative space epic that uses its sci-fi setting to explore deeply human themes. It's not perfect, but it's definitely worth experiencing.

Perfect For: Fans of thoughtful sci-fi, anyone who enjoyed Interstellar or Arrival, people who don't mind slower-paced films, and viewers looking for something different from typical blockbusters.

Content Warning: Some intense action sequences, mature themes about family and abandonment, and brief strong language.

Best Viewing Experience: This demands a big screen and good sound system. The visuals and audio design are crucial to the experience. Also, make sure you're in the right mindset - this isn't a film to watch when you want something light and fun.