When it comes to movies set in space, there are always limited resources for scenes set many miles above the earth. Movies with this premise invigorate and captivate me because time is typically of the essence. In I.S.S., the mission of the film is critical and the conflicts in a space shuttle boil. From my experience with the film, however, I felt that the direction was a bit misconstrued. The story begins with the foundation of going into outer space, but the writing is lacking. As the film moves forward, tension and danger rapidly rise. I.S.S. has some amazing visuals of a spaceship adventure, but it is rushed.

The film is focused on American and Russian astronauts. The American astronauts are Dr. Kira Foster (played by Ariana DeBose), Gordon Barrett (played by Chris Messina), and Christian Campbell (played by John Gallagher Jr.). The Russian astronauts are Weronika Vetrok (played by Masha Mahkova), Nicholai Pulov (played by Costa Ronin), and Alexey Pulov (played by Alexey Pulov). Everyone on board is there to conduct research missions. However, their main mission turns to protecting themselves when they are informed that the United States is at war with Russia. Both the American Astronauts and the Russian Astronauts are told to take control of the I.S.S. Soon, no one on board can trust anyone which leads to mixed messages and concerns about survival. The onboard missions no longer matter when the primary goal is to stay alive to see home again. Because the astronauts are at odds, communication between the crews breaks down on the space shuttle.

The film demonstrates how the war on Earth turns into a treacherous war between the teams aboard the I.S.S. Again, the writing does not provide much context as to why individuals are at risk or how they are associated with what happens below. The film becomes a death match in space which is played out for the purpose of maximizing suspense. The scenery may seem revolutionary, but the concept itself is somewhat blurry. Why is there a war on Earth? How do the astronauts relate to it? How do they contribute to the conflict? Some of these questions are explained…barely. The film just jumps from moments of actionto various conclusions.

This movie is not amazing enough to have mass appeal with audiences, but the frequent floating in the I.S.S. did appeal to me. I found the home life on the spaceship more fascinating than many other aspects of the film. The set design is strong in I.S.S. and appears to provide a realistic idea of how the inside of a space shuttle may look in real life. However, the set alone was not enough to make the movie an exhilarating experience.

I.S.S. is monumental from a technological perspective, but the writing is completely rushed. It should have been an experience of epic suspense. Unfortunately, since there is no puzzle to it, it fails to be breathtaking. I left the film feeling neutral about my experience. Two out of four stars for I.S.S.