Spaceman director Johan Renck addresses whether Adam Sandler’s talking spider friend Hanuš was real. Sandler has delivered his fair share of formulaic comedies over the course of his lucrative partnership with Netflix. This year, the funnyman is showing off his serious side instead, playing a lone astronaut journeying through the solar system in the company of a telepathic spider, voiced by Paul Dano. Viewers are left wondering, however, if Sandler’s spider friend is actually there, or is just an imaginary companion conjured by his depression.
There are indeed multiple ways to interpret Sandler’s Spaceman, and that’s exactly as director Renck intended, as he tells RadioTimes that he has no answers regarding the reality of Hanuš, but that it’s up to each individual to interpret the work as they see fit. Renck also offers a radical reading of the movie that suggests Sandler’s entire space mission is indeed imaginary. Check out his remarks below:
“Any art lies in the eye of the beholder. You know, that’s why we make it and I think, you know, it’s always the beauty of guiding how much impressionism you’re allowing for.
“Because in one way in a film, you have to have a… you have to follow a path as a viewer, you know, you can’t get completely lost. I mean, you can, you know, in an arthouse film, you’re allowed to do anything but hey, in a more conventional film of this kind, you have to have a path for the viewer to kind of keep tracking what’s going on and so on and so forth.
“But at the same time, it’s all in the eye of the beholder… I’ve shown this film to friends, some people think that Hanuš is real, some people think that Hanuš is a figment of Jakub’s imagination and his inner monologue, you know, so to speak.
“My production designer I worked with for 20 years doesn’t believe anything happened. He believes that Jakub is sitting at home in his apartment in Prague being depressed after his wife has left him and this is all going on in his mind.
“It’s like, yeah, whatever floats your boat, man, there is no truth to these matters. It’s like reading a book, listening to a song, or reading a poem, whatever. It’s like, it’s what… your own experiences will guide how you take in the film, basically.”
Why Sandler’s Sci-Fi Movie Isn’t Flying With Critics
Sandler’s 2019 movie Uncut Gems proved that his dramatic chops are more considerable than his history as a comedic star would suggest. The actor’s latest “real” movie has been a disappointment, however, as critics have largely rejected its attempt at thoughtful science-fiction storytelling. Spaceman currently has just a 50% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, ranking it far below Uncut Gems, which sits at 91%.
Sandler himself is largely not to blame for Spaceman’s problems, however, as his performance is mostly solid. The movie’s big issue is Renck’s direction, which slows things down to a snail’s pace. The film’s premise seems like the stuff of offbeat comedy, but the situation is played perfectly straight, and the heaviness of the material eventually bogs it down.
Despite the film’s flaws, Sandler deserves credit for trying something ambitious. Spaceman deals with heady themes related to grief and depression, and the sci-fi treatment leads to visually impressive moments. The movie may not land in the end, but Sandler should nevertheless continue seeking out projects that take him out of his comedic comfort zone.
Spaceman
Spaceman is a sci-fi drama starring Adam Sandler and directed by Chernobyl director Johan Renck. The film, based on the book Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfař, follows Jakub Procházka who goes on a solo mission to space and encounters a mysterious creature as he begins to lose touch with reality.
- Director
- Johan Renck
- Release Date
- March 1, 2024
- Studio(s)
- Free Association , Tango Entertainment
- Distributor(s)
- Netflix
- Writers
- Colby Day
- Cast
- Adam Sandler , Paul Dano , Carey Mulligan , Kunal Nayyar , Lena Olin , Isabella Rossellini
- Runtime
- 107 Minutes
- Where To Stream
- Netflix
