Review: 'I.S.S.' is a chillingly authentic about zero gravity, but a dramatically inert thriller

The space-based “I.S.S.” is a thriller with few thrills, putting six characters in a very confined space with very few places to go — literally and narratively.

The setting is in the title: The International Space Station, described in the opening title cards as a haven for peaceful scientific exploration with Americans and Russians working harmoniously. Two Americans arrive on the I.S.S. as the movie starts — newbie biologist Kira Foster (Ariana DeBose, cashing in her Oscar chip) and veteran Christian Campbell (John Gallagher Jr.). They join the American commander, Gordon Barrett (Chris Messina), and three Russian scientists, Alexey Pull (“Game of Thrones’” Pilou Asbaek), Nicholai Pulov (Costa Ronin) and Weronika Vetrov (Masha Mashkova).

In the early scenes, screenwriter Nick Shafir and director Gabriela Cowperthwaite (“Megan Leavey”) show the easy camaraderie among the Americans and Russians. Gordon banters good-naturedly with Alexey over a beloved Scorpions song, while we also see that Gordon and Weronika are failing miserably at keeping their romantic relationship a secret. The other astronauts also show Kira, the newcomer, the view of earth from the cupola — an image, she’s told, that has sometimes prompted spiritual awakenings. Kira, a buttoned-down scientist who says she distrusts anyone but herself (which she ascribes to a bad breakup), doesn’t seem to feel anything special when looking at the peaceful planet.

Later, though, Earth isn’t so peaceful. Kira sees explosions on the planet’s surface — and Gordon soon gets a message that the U.S. and the Russians are at war. Gordon is also given orders to take control of the I.S.S. “by any means necessary.” In short order, Christian comments that it’s very likely that Nicholai and the Russians have received the same message from their superiors.

What follows is a cat-and-mouse game where Kira must figure out where her loyalties stand — with her fellow Americans, or with the scientists she trusts, like Weronika and Alexey. And while that might sound good on paper, in execution it’s a snooze. The action is muted, and the motivations are telegraphed well in advance of the payoff.

The upsides for “I.S.S.” is that the cast — particularly DeBose, Asbaek and Mashkova — are engaging, and Cowperthwaite’s attention to authenticity, of how blood spurts in zero-gravity and so on, gives the movie a unique feel. It doesn’t necessarily pay off dramatically, but it’s cool to look at.

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‘I.S.S.’

★★1/2

Opens Friday, January 19, in theaters everywhere. Rated R for some violence and language. Running time: 96 minutes.