Approaching the Unknown (2016)
Genre: Drama / Scifi
Duration: 90 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Mark Elijah Rosenberg
Stars: Mark Strong, Sanaa Lathan and Charles Baker
IMDb score:
4,9 (9.437)
Releasedate: 3 June 2016
Approaching the Unknown plot
Approaching the Unknown follows an astronaut named William D. Stanaforth on a one-man mission to take the first steps toward colonizing the planet Mars. With the world watching and he's all alone, the journey takes its toll. When his supplies of life run out, he is forced to make some impossible choices that jeopardize his sanity and survival.
Actors and actresses
Captain William D. Stanaforth
Louis 'Skinny' Skinner (CapCom)
Captain Emily Maddox
Greenstreet
Captain Frank Worsely
Nasa Technician
Reviews & comments
coumi
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- 1472 messages
- 12499 votes
It is actually curious that Hollywood cannot manage to make multiple good films out of an intriguing premise like space travel to Mars. The Martian recently passed the test, but Red Planet and Mission to Mars were major disappointments. This Approaching the Unknown is also very mediocre.
This film lasts only an hour and a half, and yet it is painful that it is deadly boring, soulless, and uninteresting. This probably also has to do with the fact that the lead is played by Mark Strong, and he certainly doesn't live up to his surname. The man acts emotionlessly and expressionlessly all too often and speaks in a terribly monotone voice, and so it is here as well. What a difference compared to, for example, Matt Damon and Sam Rockwell, who demonstrated in similar films that they can carry such a movie perfectly well.
It must be said that the script doesn't help either, because exactly what it is about, or what the makers wanted to show us in terms of storytelling, remains quite unclear.
Only towards the end are we presented with some visually stunning images, but that will be too late for most of us to be even remotely impressed by this failed viewing experience.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Annick Hernot
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- 1 messages
- 0 votes
It is a major hallucination. You sometimes see him lying in a salt flat, but he never got out. For example: NASA would never send anyone away alone; they would never let just one person talk to the captain—it is always a whole room full. A captain could also never just transfer and steer the entire ship; it is impossible that the thousands of people in those Control Rooms would then no longer be able to steer the ship. Such a ship costs billions. So he died in that Salt Flat. It is not clear at the beginning, but it is at the end. I find it a boring film where it is difficult to focus your attention fully on him, almost impossible even. But if you know the background, then I think it is a good film. Although many people say it was made on a low budget, I don't notice that at all. I actually thought the set design was very good. There were a few mistakes in the sky, though.
Not recommended for children, too boring. Okay for adults though.
Translated from Dutch · View original
IH88
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- 9810 messages
- 3201 votes
“Nothing has ever lived here. Nothing has ever died here. Maybe I'll live forever.”
Mediocre. I usually enjoy this type of film, but Approaching the Unknown lacks a narrative arc, and after a while, watching astronaut Stanaforth becomes a boring affair. Given the plot description, I had also expected something of a psychological drama, but that doesn't quite come across. Mark Strong is excellent, but he fails to convincingly portray Stanaforth's madness and loneliness. That is mainly due to the script, and the film ultimately fizzles out.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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