Casey Affleck, an Academy Award winner, collaborates with Laurence Fishburne, an Oscar nominee, in the science fiction psychological thriller "Slingshot" by Bleecker Street. The film is directed by Mikael Håfström, based on a screenplay by R. Scott Adams and Nathan Parker.
"Slingshot" follows the gripping story of three exceptional astronauts - John (portrayed by Affleck), Captain Franks (portrayed by Laurence Fishburne), and Nash (Tomer Capone) - as they embark on a long and challenging mission to Saturn's moon, Titan. Their objective? To execute a high-stakes slingshot maneuver that could propel them toward Titan or cast them adrift in the unforgiving expanse of deep space. However, as the mission progresses, one of the astronaut's grapples with a growing struggle to distinguish reality from the eerie, isolating realms of their deep-space odyssey.
One noteworthy aspect of "Slingshot" is its thoughtful narrative approach. Upon viewing the film, I initially anticipated focusing primarily on Affleck and Fishburne, as evidenced by their prominence in the promotional materials. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the involvement of other significant actors in the production. Notably, Tomer Capone portrayed Nash, an additional astronaut on the spacecraft, while David Morrisey assumed the role of Sam Napier, the head of mission control. Furthermore, Emily Beecham depicts Zoe, who represents John's love interest.
That said, I want to keep my review brief as "Slingshot" is one of the films. The less you know going in, the better. There isn't a ton of action or aliens; instead, the script is more akin to putting in the situation of our characters. The central theme of "Slingshot" revolves around the crew's need to endure hibernation cycles between their duties and mission objectives aboard the ship.
These prolonged periods of hibernation gradually exacerbate their exhaustion, confusion, and delusions upon resuming their responsibilities. Consequently, the crew members experience a progressive decline in mental stability, leading to increasingly hostile and unpredictable conflicts among them. Affleck and Fishburne bring their usual bravado to their roles while Tomer Capone, whose work I wasn't familiar with, holds his own. Emily Beecham is also solid.
The creatives behind the scenes tried to cram too much into the final product, and a trim of 15 minutes would've given the final twist some more substance. Nevertheless, I did stick out and will admit the ending caught me off guard. While I've never considered myself a fan of Casey Affleck per se, I do mildly recommend "Slingshot" for fans of slow-burning sci-fi.
Final Grade: B-
"Slingshot" is in theaters
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