Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'Astro'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

The one thing that I have always loved about the science fiction genre over anything else, are the questions that it poses about mankind and where we are going as a species. Because that kind of exploration allows for this particular genre to examine things about our world that need to be discussed and it has also helped to paint some incredible pictures of what we could achieve if by chance we took the time to look past our differences and work together as one, and all of those elements have allowed for some beautiful stories to come to fruition.
 
Yet, while those uplifting sci-fi stories tend to let our spirits soar at the possibilities of a brighter future, I am always appreciative of a story from this genre that doesn’t always look at the bright side of things and is willing to explore the darker side of the human condition because let’s be honest, there is a darker side to our species that hasn’t been eliminated yet, which opens up all kinds of possibilities for the genre storytelling wise. And recently, I came across a sci-fi flick that digs into that darker side of humanity and the all the grey areas that come with it in Astro.
 
Now in this film, we are introduced to man named Jack Adams who has…suffered his fair share of tough times. His beloved wife Julie passed away a few years ago and following her passing, Jack prefers to keep a low profile at his ranch where he can spend time with his daughter and enjoy some peace and quiet. But Jack’s life is about to be turned upside down, because billionaire Alexander Biggs, who has built a space exploration empire has suddenly taken quite the interest in Jack since Mister Adams is relevant to a secret that Biggs is hiding from everyone; that there is life in outer space and an alien from another world is being held captive on our planet and Biggs…will do whatever it takes to figure out how Jack is connected to this extraterrestrial being…

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​So, before we dig too deep into this complex and sweeping plot, I do have to more or less fire off a warning to potential viewers of this film in that…if you’re coming into this one expecting a fast-paced tale full of adventures through the stars, you may find yourself disappointed. This is a decidedly different kind of science fiction film, one that has no qualms in taking its time to properly explore who its characters are and what they stand for, so be prepared for the fact that this one is a slow burning tale through and through, which quite frankly has it merits.
 
Because this film really does explore both sides of the human condition in great depth, and I really did appreciate the fact that Jack is not a perfect Hollywood hero, but a man who is trying to atone for any mistakes he’s made in life and he is foiled nicely by Alexander Biggs, a villain that much like Jack is grounded in reality over theatrics and by grounding this film with characters that feel like everyday people, the story is free to explore something that we don’t see enough of in science fiction, mankind being the antagonist to the story since often times…it’s the aliens that are here to cause trouble and I really appreciated that this movie allowed for Biggs and his machinations to serve as the real problem at hand.
 
Yet, what’s truly fascinating about this film, is the sheer fact that it is obvious by the end that this is the grand setup to a bigger story, one that I’m sure will unfold in sequels and that’s a good thing because I won’t lie, this movie does leave you with a lot of unanswered questions. But really, when all is said and done, kudos to director and co-writer Asif Akbar for bringing forth some fascinating concepts in this story and while this film isn’t flawless by any means, because at times it is a touch too slow, it did spark my imagination and leave me thinking after it came to an end and really, you cannot ask for much more from a science fiction film.  

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