TL;DR – A charming little Science Fiction film even though it does have a few rough edges   

Score – 3 out of 5 stars

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene

Review –

If you have read our site before, you’ll know that we are all about new Science Fiction films and ways they explore the genre. This year I have wanted to branch out and see how other countries are approaching Science Fiction to broaden my cinematic experience and today we get to do that with Alone in Space a film about being trapped alone in space from Sweden.

So to set the scene, we open in on the Svea XVI an escape ship form a dying Earth, but instead of being filled with colonists/refugees the only ones on board are Gladys (Ella Rae Rappaport) and her younger brother Keaton (Dante Fleischanderl). They try and get through the day, fixing what they can of the ship, scavenging food and stuff in their journeys and talking to the ship’s Japanese AI Otosan. Well one day there is a crash, sending everything on the ship flying. Thinking it was some debris they ignore it and go about fixing the ship only to discover they are no longer alone.  

Now I do have to start with the fact that clearly this film is aimed at a younger audience and you need to calibrate yourselves for that going in. however, that was not really an issue for me because while it is was aimed at a younger audience it was still a fantastically made film. You can see that right at the start with the beautiful use of contrasting colour and darkness to create these stunning sequences. The design of the ship itself is held back a bit by the budget but they make real use of the interiors to explore this world. The interiors feel like a mix of German industrialism with Soviet art-nouveau elements.

The story is not the most complex one that I have seen but it is more than capable. At the heart of is the story of a loss of family and Gladys becoming the de facto parent for Keaton after their mother Speedy (Aliette Opheim) more than likely perished in space. There is a pain there that Gladys has to suppress in order to get through the day in hopes that they can make it to their new home Vial. So when Vojajer (Henrik Ståhl) arrives (and nice prosthetic work there) and throws a wrench into those plans, everyone has to adjust. It would have been nice if there was a bit more depth to it and it did constantly hand wave away some of the more important things but those are small issues.

In the end, do we recommend Alone in Space? Well yes we do. It is not the best Science Fiction film, even in those aimed mostly at children. However, it was really well shot, with some good characters, and I enjoyed my time here. 

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

Have you watched Alone in Space?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 

Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Alone in Space
Directed by – Ted Kjellsson
Written by – Ted Kjellsson & Henrik Ståhl
Music by – Joel Danell
Cinematography by – Petrus Sjövik
Edited by – Hanna Lejonqvist
Production/Distribution Companies – Nice Drama & Nordisk Film
Starring – Ella Rae Rappaport, Dante Fleischanderl, Henrik Ståhl, Madeleine Barwén Trollvik, Håkan Bengtsson, Aliette Opheim, Richard Sseruwagi, Ida Thelin, Inga Avemo Hådell, Josefine Nilssen, Charlie Forsberg & Irene Gómez Alado        
Rating – Australia: PG;