WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Spaceman.
The mesmerizing and mysterious Chopra Cloud in Netflix’s new sci-fi drama Spaceman is one of the most intriguing aspects of the new Adam Sandler film. Spaceman stars Sandler as Jakub Prochazka, an astronaut on a solo mission at the edge of the solar system who encounters an ancient arachnid creature in his ship on his way to explore a vibrant smokey cloud that can be seen from Earth. The small but outstanding cast of Spaceman features stellar performances from Academy Award nominee Carey Mulligan and Emmy nominee Paul Dano.
The new Netflix movie is based on the 2017 novel “Spaceman of Bohemia” by Jaroslav Kalfar. Spaceman combines many of the core elements from the novel, particularly in the contemplative and existential themes surrounding Jakub’s marital troubles, having been told while in outer space that his wife Lenka (Mulligan) wishes to leave him. The Chopra Cloud begins as the objective of the space mission but eventually unfolds into a deeper and even more spiritual representation of Jakub’s guilt and neglect towards Lenka throughout his life and career as a cosmonaut. Despite mixed reviews, Spaceman is one of the most anticipated projects of March 2024 on Netflix.
Spaceman Ending Explained: What Happened To Jakub?
The ambiguous ending of Spaceman leaves Jakub on a personal high note after a cerebral, life-changing experience in the mysterious Chopra Cloud.
Jakub’s Mission In Spaceman Was To Investigate The Chopra Cloud
The Chopra Cloud in Spaceman is, first of all, a complete work of fiction and not based on any actual solar phenomena. In the world of the film and the novel, the Chopra Cloud mysteriously appeared from the depth of outer space 4 years before the events of the story begin to take place. Jakub is at the midpoint of an 8-12 month expedition to reach the Chopra Cloud when the film begins. His mission is simple yet challenging, considering he’s completely on his own: gather samples of the Chopra Cloud’s vibrant pink and purple particles and return them to Earth for further study.
Jakub, a cosmonaut from the Czech Republic, is in a space race to the Chopra Cloud with South Korean astronauts but appears to have a solid head start in the film. Interestingly, when Jakub is ultimately rescued by the Koreans at the end of Spaceman, there is more than just one astronaut on their ship, indicating that Jakub’s willingness to venture to the Chopra Cloud solo might have given the Czech people an advantage in getting to it first. Regardless, the Chopra Cloud doesn’t appear to be a threat to mankind, but its sudden appearance one day created an international curiosity that Jakub would be the very first human to uncover.
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The Chopra Cloud’s Purple Dust Explained
One of the most amazing qualities of the mysterious glowing particles in the Chopra Cloud is how they seem to trigger highly realistic memories for Jakub throughout Spaceman. They seem to be ancient “miracle” particles that came from the origin of the entire universe, which is why Hanuš refers to the Chopra Cloud at large as “The Beginning” and where everything begins and ends. In this sense, the purple dust particles in the Chopra Cloud are physical molecular manifestations of the creative force that created the universe, sort of like debris from the Big Bang theoretically speaking.
The cerebral and magical powers that the Chopra Cloud particles possess are what truly blends science and fantasy together in Spaceman, as each particle of the space dust seemingly contains the beginning and end of the universe within itself. This is why Jakub is able to experience his first memories with Lenka when the particles are nearby, as they appear to be all-encompassing vessels that exist outside the construct of time. By this logic, Jakub should also be able to see into the future through these powerful space dust particles, which is somewhat implied by his renewed appreciation and deep love for Lenka by the film’s end.
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Why Hanus Referreed To The Chopra Cloud As “The Beginning”
Hanuš realized that he would not be able to explain the significance or true definition of the Chopra Cloud and its magical particles in a way that Jakub or any human could logically understand. The best way Hanuš can describe the vibrant space dust is as “The Beginning”, indicating that it is effectively a “God particle” descending from the origin of the universe. Hanuš tells Jakub that the significance of the Chopra Cloud can only be experienced and is not necessarily translatable in a symbolic or linguistic way. This hints that even Earth’s best scientists wouldn’t be able to scientifically define the Chopra Cloud particles.
While Jakub could have been successful in gathering the Chopra Cloud particles, the only way he could understand what Hanuš meant by “The Beginning” was to experience it for himself. Time and space bend and morph within the Chopra Cloud, contributing to the concept that it wasn’t simply made out of established elements or matter familiar to humans. The Chopra Cloud is essentially alien in nature, so even if humanity acquires some on Earth for study, it’s uncertain whether there could be any applicable use for its particles in the human world. All that Jakub knows of its significance is that its particles have a sobering and spiritual “truth “essence to it akin to a sacred universal “Godlike” molecule.
The Real Meaning Behind Spaceman’s Chopra Cloud
When Jakub was sent out on his mission to explore the Chopra Cloud, his main objectives were likely incredibly clear. He was to observe the space phenomena, collect an abundance of samples, and return safely to Earth with them for further study. The particles could have been deathly and toxic to humans, or they could have potentially been some type of advanced form of fuel that powers highly advanced alien civilizations, creating a bridge between Earth, extraterrestrials, and intergalactic space travel. All of these possibilities seem plausible in a sci-fi fantasy story such as Spaceman.
The truth, however, in Spaceman is that the Chopra Cloud particles seemed to primarily have a pure quality that promoted things such as healing, fulfillment, and true love. Unbound by time, the particles opened up a vault of Jakob’s memories and potentially future things to come, which could explain the Rasulka scene in an earthly forest at the end of the film. As the manifestation of “The Beginning”, the Chopra Cloud particles are essentially infinite and remind Jakub that what was once true many years ago can still be true today, such as his star-crossed love for Lenka in Spaceman.
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
