Movie Name: Spaceman
Released Year: 2024

Spaceman is a 2024 American science fiction drama film directed by Johan Renck and written by Colby Day, adapted from Jaroslav Kalfař’s 2017 novel Spaceman of Bohemia. The film stars Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan, Kunal Nayyar, Isabella Rossellini, and Paul Dano. It tells the story of an astronaut sent on a mission to the edge of the solar system, where he encounters a mysterious creature that helps him confront his personal struggles on Earth.

The film premiered at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on February 21, 2024. Following a limited theatrical release on February 23, 2024, it debuted on Netflix on March 1, 2024.

Plot Summary

Czech cosmonaut Jakub Procházka embarks on a six-month mission to investigate Chopra, a mysterious cloud of dust and particles located beyond Jupiter. As the Czech crew races against a competing South Korean mission, Jakub grapples with isolation and the emotional toll of leaving behind his wife, Lenka, and their unborn child.

Lenka attempts to send Jakub a message revealing her desire to leave him, but Jakub’s commanding officer, Commissioner Tuma, intercepts it to protect Jakub’s mental state. Struggling with his loneliness, Jakub discovers a telepathic, spider-like creature aboard the ship. Naming it Hanuš, Jakub forms an unlikely bond with the creature, who seeks to understand human emotions and alleviates Jakub's solitude.

As Hanuš delves into Jakub’s memories, the cosmonaut’s troubled past comes to light: Jakub’s father, an informant for the state, was killed during his childhood, and Jakub’s career ambitions caused him to neglect Lenka, even during her miscarriage. After Hanuš shows Jakub a vision of the miscarriage, the creature grows disillusioned with humanity and temporarily leaves the ship, leaving Jakub distraught.

Determined to make amends, Jakub enlists his friend Peter to deliver a message to Lenka asking for forgiveness. Hanuš returns, revealing he is dying from a parasitic infection that has wiped out his species.

Upon reaching the Chopra cloud, Jakub and Hanuš discover it is a remnant from the beginning of the universe, where all moments in time coexist. Hanuš chooses to die in space, but Jakub ventures into the cloud after him. There, Jakub envisions Lenka as a rusalka in a forest, realizing his deepest desire is to reconcile with her.

Jakub is eventually rescued by the South Korean space crew and reconnects with Lenka, finding closure and a renewed understanding of their relationship.