One of the most confusing aspects of Spaceman is Adam Sandler’s inconsistent use of a Czech accent throughout the film. Spaceman stars Sandler as Jakub Prochazka, an astronaut on a solo mission at the edge of the solar system. Jakub encounters an ancient arachnid creature he names Hanuš (Paul Dano) on his ship on his way to explore a vibrant smokey phenomenon known as the Chopra Cloud that can be seen from Earth.
While floating in the vast isolation of space, the gentle nature of Hanuš helps Jakub reevaluate his life and reconnect with his true love, Lenka (Carey Mulligan). Sandler leads the small but outstanding cast of Spaceman with a great dramatic performance similar to his more serious roles in films such as Punch-Drunk Love, Uncut Gems, and Hustle. 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.
Adam Sandler’s Jakub Seems To Have A Czech Accent In Spaceman’s Early Scenes
Sandler’s inconsistent use of the Czech accent throughout Spaceman raises some questions about whether the creative choice was intentional or not. In the scene at the beginning of the film where Jakub is talking to the press and taking questions, there’s a hint of an accent, but then it disappears. The same can be said in the pre-recorded message that plays just before Jakub enters the Chopra Cloud, which could imply that Jakub is asked to play up the accent when speaking before his nation and the world.
During the many scenes in which Sandler’s character talks to Hanuš and Lenka, his Czech accent seems to have completely gone away. If this had been an intentional part of the story, perhaps it could have pointed to some type of secret that Jakub was hiding such as he was not actually from the Czech Republic, or lead to some other type of plot twist. The fact that the inconsistency with the accent does not have much of a point in the movie makes it curious as to why it wasn’t addressed or fixed before being released.
Spaceman’s Chopra Cloud & Purple Dust Explained
The dazzling Chopra Cloud in Netflix’s sci-fi drama Spaceman is no MacGuffin, contributing greatly to the theme of Jakub’s eternal love for his wife.
Spaceman’s Director Confirms Jakub Wasn’t Meant To Have A Full Czech Accent
According to the Spaceman press notes, director Johan Renck said this of Jakub’s accent: “I never do accents in my films. I rely on letting the immersion and the characters be. Yes, Jakub Procházka is Czech, but there’s the backstory that nobody knows that, in his younger years, to become an astronaut, he studied at some university in the U.S. If we would’ve started having everybody having some weird Czech accents, I can’t do that. It is just ridiculous.” It appears that Renck gave free rein to Sandler in terms of his accent in Spaceman but certainly did not require it.
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
