Personally, I thought Paul Dano was at the height of his career in The Batman as The Riddler. The terror of his character was only matched by his bravado and singing. After watching the trailer for Spaceman I know I was wrong. Dano playing a giant space spider alongside a bearded astronaut played by Adam Sandler is going to be his best role.
Sandler plays Jakub Procházka, his country’s first astronaut. And he’s on a prolonged solo mission in space that is wearing on him. He misses his wife, played by Carey Mulligan. That leads to the giant space spider. Because in space you don’t just possibly hallucinate regular things. You possibly hallucinate giant space spiders who are going to help you figure out what went wrong in your relationship.
Dano’s voice is an absolute A+ for me. What can I say, he’s got a soothing voice that should be on the Calm app. But you know what’s surprising? Sandler is kind of A+ for me too. I’ve only seen like one of his serious roles, and this works. Because it isn’t just an exploration of space. It’s an exploration of grief, loss, loneliness, and hope. Sure, hallucinating a giant space spider might be a bit concerning. But they’re trying to help his relationship. Just go with it.
Watch the official trailer below:
Spaceman premieres on March 1, 2024 on Netflix.
