I.S.S. (2023) – Review | Sci-fi Thriller | Heaven of Horror

Are we all doomed?

In I.S.S., we’re in the near future. A situation on Earth results in extreme tension on the International Space Station. A brutal and clearly (as in it can be seen from space) violent conflict breaks out on Earth.

Before all communication to Earth goes dark, both the US and Russian Governments send a message to their people on the I.S.S. The message from both sides is simply this; Take control of the station. By any means necessary.

Being just six astronauts on the Space Station, they must decide whether to work together or follow orders. They should be a team, but what can you do when orders from the ground go against this?

You quickly get the feeling that while some would choose diplomacy and communication, others are getting in the way of that. This isn’t an action movie, but it does turn into a survival story.

Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose (Westworld) leads the small cast with Chris Messina (The Boogeyman) and John Gallagher Jr. (Hush) rounding out the US side. As Russians, we have Russian actors Costa Ronin and Masha Mashkova, and Danish Pilou Asbæk (Overlord).

More international than the US and Russia

Admittedly, it may be a smaller detail, but I wasn’t too fond of how the International Space Station was described as being just a USA and Russia endeavor.

The International Space Station is a collaboration of five national space agencies and other contractors. The agencies in the I.S.S. are NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada).

Usually, there are people from quite a few more countries than just the US and Russia as well. Right now, a Danish astronaut is up on the I.S.S., which only makes it all the more appropriate that we have a Dane (Pilou Asbæk) in this sci-fi thriller.

Of course, he’s portraying a Russian cosmonaut, but I guess we can’t have it all. Especially not for this movie, though it would have given it an extra edge that could’ve made the story even more intriguing.

The fact that alliances would have to be made across nationalities would’ve been a nice touch. Instead of the classic Cold War approach where it seemed only the USA and USSR existed. Sure, it’s been updated to Russia, but the rest of us just exist outside this somehow.

That detail does make the story seem strangely dated. To me, anyway.