Ariana DeBose
Dr. Kira Foster
I.S.S.
“The war on earth will be decided in space.”
2024
1h 36m
R · EnglishDirector: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Overview
Tensions flare in the near future aboard the International Space Station as a conflict breaks out on Earth. U.S. and Russian astronauts receive orders from the ground: take control of the station by any means necessary.
Cast
6 people
Reviews
5 min readGravity’s Ghost: How I.S.S. Turns the Space Station Into a Pressure Cooker of Paranoia
I’ve seen this trick before: lock a handful of strangers in a confined space, crank up the tension, and wait for the sparks to fly. It’s the same formula that powered 12 Angry Men, The Thing, and Alien, and it’s the one Gabriela Cowperthwaite leans on in I.S.S.—a sci-fi thriller set aboard the International Space Station as war erupts on Earth below. The premise is irresistible: what happens when the last neutral ground in the world becomes a battleground?
The answer, unfortunately, is a film that feels like it’s constantly revving its engine but never quite finds the right gear.
Cowperthwaite, best known for the incendiary documentary Blackfish, brings a documentarian’s eye for detail to I.S.S., but the shift to narrative filmmaking exposes some rough edges. The film’s greatest strength is its claustrophobic set design, a meticulous recreation of the ISS that feels lived-in and real. The zero-gravity effects are used sparingly but effectively—watch the way blood droplets float in midair after a violent confrontation, a visceral reminder of how quickly things can spiral out of control when there’s no up or down.
It’s the kind of detail that makes you forget you’re watching a movie, at least for a moment.
But the script, by Nick Shafir, struggles to justify its own premise. The film asks us to believe that a group of highly trained scientists and astronauts—people who’ve spent years preparing for the psychological rigors of space—would devolve into murderous paranoia within hours of receiving orders from their respective governments. It’s a stretch, and one that I.S.S. never quite sells.
The dialogue often feels like it’s explaining what the camera already shows, and the characters’ motivations shift with the wind. One minute, they’re rational professionals; the next, they’re brandishing makeshift weapons like they’ve stepped out of a slasher flick. The tonal whiplash is jarring, and it undercuts the film’s attempts at realism.
Ariana DeBose, fresh off her Oscar win for West Side Story, is the film’s standout. She plays Dr. Kira Foster, an American astronaut whose moral compass wavers as the situation escalates.
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsGabriela Cowperthwaite’s "I.S.S." Takes a High-Stakes Gamble in Space
Gabriela Cowperthwaite, best known for the hard-hitting documentary Blackfish, swaps real-life animal rights drama for a fictional thriller set aboard the International Space Station in I.S.S. (2024). The film marks a bold shift for the director, trading documentary realism for a claustrophobic, sci-fi-tinged narrative that pits astronauts against each other as global tensions erupt on Earth. But while the premise promises tension, latestnetflix.com maintains, early reactions suggest the execution may have left some critics—and audiences—wanting more.
A Cast of Heavy Hitters in a High-Pressure Setting
Cowperthwaite assembles a strong ensemble for I.S.S., led by Ariana DeBose (West Side Story), who brings her signature intensity to the role of an American astronaut caught in the crossfire of an international crisis. Alongside her are Chris Messina (The Mindy Project), John Gallagher Jr. (The Newsroom), and Pilou Asbæk (Game of Thrones), all playing scientists-turned-survivors as political chaos on Earth spills into their orbiting sanctuary. The film also features Masha Mashkova and Costa Ronin, rounding out the international crew.
The casting is a clear strength, with DeBose in particular drawing praise for her performance. However, the script’s reliance on "rational, highly trained scientific minds devolving overnight into paranoid" behavior has raised eyebrows, with some critics calling the plot contrived. It’s a risky move for a thriller—asking audiences to suspend disbelief when the stakes are literally life and death in zero gravity.
**From Blackfish to I.S.S.: Cowperthwaite’s Genre Leap**
Cowperthwaite made her name with Blackfish (2013), a documentary that exposed the dark side of SeaWorld’s orca captivity program. The film was a critical darling, earning a 7.6/10 on SensCritique, and its impact rippled through pop culture, influencing public opinion and even corporate policy. With I.S.S., she steps into narrative filmmaking for the first time, tackling a story that blends sci-fi, thriller, and political drama.
The shift isn’t without its challenges. While Blackfish thrived on real-world urgency, I.S.S. leans heavily on its fictional premise, which may explain why it’s earned a more lukewarm reception. On SensCritique, the film holds a 5.1/10 rating from 326 votes—far from the acclaim of her documentary work. The 95-minute runtime suggests a tight, no-frills approach, but whether that’s enough to sustain tension remains a point of debate.
Behind the Scenes: What We Know (and What We Don’t)
Details about the production of I.S.S. are scarce, but a few tidbits stand out:
- Ariana DeBose’s Star Power: DeBose, fresh off her Oscar win for West Side Story, was already a rising name when I.S.S. was filmed. Her involvement likely helped secure the project’s visibility, though it’s unclear if she had any creative input beyond her performance.
- A Low-Budget Gamble?: Unlike big-budget space epics like Gravity or The Martian, I.S.S. appears to be a smaller-scale production. The film’s modest runtime and lack of major VFX set pieces suggest a focus on character-driven tension over spectacle.
- No Word on Reshoots or Delays: Unlike many high-profile films, I.S.S. doesn’t seem to have faced major production hiccups. Its 2024 release came without the fanfare of a studio tentpole, which may explain its relatively quiet rollout.
What’s missing? Any behind-the-scenes drama—onset clashes, script rewrites, or directorial challenges—remains unconfirmed. If Cowperthwaite faced hurdles transitioning from documentary to narrative filmmaking, she’s kept them under wraps.
The Verdict: A Flawed but Ambitious Thriller
I.S.S. may not have landed with the same impact as Blackfish, but it’s a notable step for Cowperthwaite. The film’s premise is undeniably gripping—a contained, high-stakes thriller set in the most isolated workplace imaginable—but its execution has divided critics. Some praise DeBose’s performance and the film’s tense atmosphere, while others find the plot’s sudden descent into paranoia hard to swallow.
For fans of sci-fi thrillers, I.S.S. offers a fresh take on the "trapped in space" trope, even if it doesn’t quite stick the landing. And for Cowperthwaite, it’s a chance to prove she can thrive outside the documentary space—even if the real world feels far more chaotic than fiction.
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