When you think of Adam Sandler, you think of him making scat jokes and doing silly shenanigans. This perception has followed the star around despite his occasional pursuit of high art in films like Punch Drunk Love and Uncut Gems.
Known for his comedic hijinks, Sandler took a daring leap into the realm of science fiction drama with his latest Netflix hit, Spaceman. Landing third on Netflix’s top ten list of films globally following its debut, this unexpected sad-dad sci-fi film has captured the fascination of audiences in 55 countries.
Directed by Johan Renck and penned by Colby Day, Spaceman sees Sandler alongside an ensemble cast featuring Carey Mulligan, Kunal Nayyar, Isabella Rossellini, and Paul Dano’s voice. Sandler plays Czech astronaut Jakub Procházka, who sets out on a mission to the edge of the solar system in pursuit of cosmic mysteries. Keeping up with themes of isolation and loneliness we have seen in space dramas in the past few years, Spaceman follows a Jakub who is deeply miserable despite racing towards glittery space dust that has possibly existed from the beginning of time.
Speaking of how Sandler reacted to the story, he told The New Indian Express, “I read the script, and it broke my heart.” He also expressed his gratitude towards Renck for trusting him with the role of Jakub, “Johan Renck trusted I could do a good enough job, so that’s why I jumped at it.”
Spaceman follows Jakub’s journey of self-discovery amid the endless vastness of space. Haunted by his mistakes and regrets, he finds solace in an unexpected companion—a telepathic creature named Hanuš (voiced by Dano). As Jakub grapples with his past and the strained relationship with his wife Lenka (played by Carey Mulligan), Hanuš becomes both a confidant and a catalyst for his redemption.
Sandler was his humorous self as he remarked on how it was shooting with Hanuš, an alien arachnid who is possibly a hallucination of Jakub’s. “…it was a lot of me talking to a tennis ball. Sometimes, Johan’s friend would come dressed up as a spider and crawl around. But it was a good experience because this is a movie about being alone. The tennis ball allowed me to be alone in my own world.” Sandler also mentioned how the rest of the crew would be far away, which would give him the space to immerse himself in his solitude.
Sandler was also cheeky enough to say that Spaceman is his current favourite sci-fi movie before mentioning Attack of the 50 Ft Woman for sentimental reasons, “My father and I used to watch it together, so that one has nice memories.”
You can watch Spaceman on Netflix and catch the trailer here:
