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The Space Between Us review: Tropes done right

The Space Between Us asks a very specific question we didn’t know needed asking: can the regular trappings of a young adult film be made better with a near-future sci-fi theme and some solid acting?

The answer, surprisingly is, why yes, yes it can.

The movie is set in 2018, and Nasa and a private space company lead by Nathaniel Shepherd (Gary Oldman) have launched the first mission to colonise Mars. In the few months it takes to get to the red planet, the crew discover that the head astronaut on the mission, Sarah Elliot (Janet Montgomery) is pregnant.

Sarah dies in childbirth shortly after landing, and then events skip ahead to 16-years in the future and settle upon her son Gardner Elliot (Asa Butterfield), who has been raised by scientists on Mars.

Gardner’s teenage angst is a little more justified than most; he’s stuck on Mars and has medical problems arising from his upbringing on the planet. On top of that his existence was kept a secret from the world – the official word is that his mother died from a pressure suit malfunction, and Gardner’s father is nowhere to be found.

Asa Butterfield does a fine job as Gardner; he starts off a sulky teen but over time it’s impossible not to warm to the kid, especially once he reaches Earth and meets Tulsa (Britt Robertson).

Tulsa is a teenager in the foster care system and Gardner’s only friend. They communicate over an instant messaging system, with Gardner covering his physical absence with a bogus disease. Britt Robertson’s performance here is all over the place. We don’t know if it’s due to director Peter Chelsom giving her bad cues or the screenplay again creating another trope in the “tomboy with a hidden feminine scene”.

When Robertson has to do the cringe-worthy tough act in the beginning half of the movie, you really won’t like the character. Thankfully she’s much better when Gardner arrives on Earth as the two characters play well off of each other.

This happens because Gardner almost dies after taking a solo walk on the surface of Mars to visit his mother’s grave. Another astronaut on Mars who plays his adoptive mother, Kendra (Carla Gugino), saves him and convinces Nasa and Nathaniel to bring the boy to Earth.

After undergoing operations to increase his bone density, Gardner takes the seven month trip to Earth and then the movie kicks into overdrive.

After breaking out of containment thinking that his medical tests will fail and he’ll be sent back to Mars, Gardner escapes quarantine and goes on a journey to meet Tulsa and his missing father.

Seeing Asa Butterfield act out a young man experiencing Earth for the first time is a real treat here. Butterfield makes it so believable as he goes around awkwardly asking people “what’s your favourite thing about Earth?” and there’s some genuine laughs to be had here.

Again, we can’t stress enough how a lesser actor would have killed this role and this movie. A lot of the character’s dialogue is on the nose and full of socially awkward lines, which is tough to do convincingly.

Gardner and Tulsa get into hijinks as they become wanted criminals. Now hunted by the police, Nasa, Nathaniel and Kendra, the pair take a trip through several American states collecting clues to find Gardner’s father.

This part of the movie is where it, and the cast, shine. The visuals, music and actors reach their peak here and you’ll be subconsciously rooting for everyone to get what they want even if you’ve already guessed the very predictable outcome and minor twists.

The Space Between Us review: Conclusion

We really did expect this movie to be a typical, young adult story of sappy romance. And, well, we were right. Luckily, the talent behind it as well as the less than traditional setting make it a truly enjoyable experience.

If you expected another movie in the vein of The Martian, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. There’s almost no focus on any science and this movie doesn’t come anywhere close to that movie’s wit.

That being said, it still gets the recommendation from us for giving us characters we can care about, a good number of laughs, and its ability to subvert our expectations.

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