‘Captivating’ thriller with ‘most original twist of past decade’ | Films | Entertainment

An epic science fiction thriller is now available to stream, and fans are already comparing the film to classics like E.T. and The Sixth Sense.

The “suspenseful” drama packed with edge-of-your-seat action and “insane” twists landed on Paramount Plus today, February 15. 

The film, directed by Jess Varley, stars Kate Mara, Laurence Fishburne and Gabriel Luna.

“This movie kept me on the edge of my seat- it’s thrilling and tense but also heartwarming at the same time” one fan wrote on Rotten Tomatoes.

Another agreed: “I found the suspense of the story gripping from start to finish. It truly kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. The twist at the end was both surprising and a fresh take on the sci-fi genre.”

The Astronaut was released last year in 2025 and, despite achieving just a 42% critics score and 59% audience score, has been fiercely defended by fans on the review aggregator site. 

Many viewers praised the film for its ‘thrilling’ and ‘captivating’ plot, with one writing: “Great storyline that kept me engaged. Awesome cinematography. Very well written and directed!”

“Genuinely one of the most captivating movies I’ve seen in years,” a second agreed, as a third wrote: “Am I missing something? This was hands down my favorite movie of the year. Thrilling and unexpectedly heartfelt.”

The synopsis reads: “After returning from her first space mission, astronaut Sam Walker is placed under NASA’s care at a high security house for rehabilitation and medical testing. 

“However, when disturbing occurrences begin happening around the property, she fears that something extraterrestrial has followed her back to Earth.”

Fans say they were “hooked almost immediately” by the movie, while others specifically praised the unexpected twists, with one saying: “I was impressed and surprised by the twist and turns of the movie, especially the ending.”

“Sixth Sense level twist that I did not see coming at all,” another person admitted, as one more wrote: “One of the most original twists of the past decade with a slightly short run time but packed with crazy visuals and strong performances.”

Some fans also noted that the film had left them “sobbing”, with one confessing: “I was not prepared to cry my eyes out at the end!!! This made me feel all the feels.”

Another added: “I LOVED THIS MOVIE!!!!!! I don’t like horror movies but this wasn’t really one in a lot of ways. It was scary at times, but the family drama pulled on my heart strings. I actually cried at the end!”

However, not everyone was a fan, with one viewer critiquing: “It had potential, but ultimately ended up really flat and very rushed towards a conclusion. A lil more effort would have actually made it watchable.”

“After what was a promising start, unfortunately this film descends into utter nonsense, climaxing into comedy,” a second penned, while one more mused: “This movie went from being really boring in the first two acts to really stupid in the last act. I was expecting it to be better.”

Nonetheless, the reviews from fans were overwhelmingly positive, with some people even comparing The Astronaut to classic sci-fi films like E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

“E.T. vibes for sure,” one simply stated, as another commented: “Suspenseful from beginning to end! Reminiscent of the classic SciFi series, Close Encounters, but with a unique twist at the end that I did not expect! Fantastic cinematography and a soundtrack that magnifies the suspense.”

One more person wrote: “I liked this a lot more than I expected to! It reminded me of old movies like Signs and ET and thankfully wasn’t 2.5 hrs long. Felt like maybe it got trimmed down a touch too much but it was short enough that it keep me engaged the whole time. The twist was insane and in a world of spoilers I’m glad I didn’t know what was coming.”

The Astronaut is available to stream now on Paramount Plus.

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