# The Astronaut (2025 film)
**The Astronaut** is a 2025 American science fiction horror film written and directed by Jess Varley, in which astronaut Sam Walker ([Kate Mara](https://www.edgepedia.org/kate-mara)), after a rough return from her first space mission, is placed in quarantine at a secluded high-security house and comes to fear that something extraterrestrial has followed her back to Earth.[1](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/the-astronaut-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdmyndmz) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_astronaut_2025) [Laurence Fishburne](https://www.edgepedia.org/laurence-fishburne) and [Gabriel Luna](https://www.edgepedia.org/gabriel-luna) co-star.[1](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/the-astronaut-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdmyndmz)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director and writer | Jess Varley (also credited as Jessica Varley)[1](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/the-astronaut-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdmyndmz) • [3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Astronaut-The-%282025%29) |
| Lead cast | Kate Mara as Capt. Sam Walker; Laurence Fishburne as Gen. William Harris; Gabriel Luna as Mark Walker[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_astronaut_2025) |
| Genre and runtime | Horror, science fiction, thriller; 91 minutes (BBFC), listed as 90 minutes by The Numbers[1](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/the-astronaut-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdmyndmz) • [3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Astronaut-The-%282025%29) |
| Festival premiere | SXSW Film Festival, March 7, 2025[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13964560/releaseinfo/) |
| US release | Limited theatrical release October 17, 2025, by Vertical (domestic distributor VRC)[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Astronaut-The-%282025%29) |
| Critical reception | 38% Tomatometer from 26 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes; Metascore 40 on Metacritic[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_astronaut_2025) • [5](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-astronaut/critic-reviews/) |
| US rating | PG-13; the British Board of Film Classification rated it "strong horror, injury detail"[6](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-astronaut/umc.cmc.41tx0sq8oijfafhe3y0v62zqk) • [1](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/the-astronaut-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdmyndmz) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Sam Walker crash-lands on Earth after her first mission to the [International Space Station](https://www.edgepedia.org/international-space-station); her capsule was struck by what appears to be meteor debris during re-entry, puncturing the hull, and she is found alive in the punctured capsule off the Atlantic coast.[7](https://pradt.co/the-astronaut) • [6](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-astronaut/umc.cmc.41tx0sq8oijfafhe3y0v62zqk) General William Harris (Laurence Fishburne) places her in quarantine under strict NASA surveillance for rehabilitation and medical testing, relocating her to a well-appointed house in the forests of Virginia through a joint effort between NASA and the military.[6](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-astronaut/umc.cmc.41tx0sq8oijfafhe3y0v62zqk) • [8](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/the-astronaut-a-new-thriller-about-the-perils-of-traveling-to-space/) She is promised an in-person visit from her semi-estranged husband Mark (Gabriel Luna) and their young daughter Izzy (Scarlett Holmes).[8](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/the-astronaut-a-new-thriller-about-the-perils-of-traveling-to-space/)
As disturbing occurrences escalate around the property, Sam fears that something extraterrestrial has followed her home.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_astronaut_2025) Her symptoms mix ordinary post-flight ailments, such as potential atrophy and soreness from the rough landing, with unusual ones, including bruising that will not go away.[8](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/the-astronaut-a-new-thriller-about-the-perils-of-traveling-to-space/) Her ex-astronaut best friend Val ([Macy Gray](https://www.edgepedia.org/macy-gray)) advises her to hide the worst of it, warning that her bosses would use it as a reason to dismiss her from future missions, and Sam, eager to return to space, downplays her problems.[8](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/the-astronaut-a-new-thriller-about-the-perils-of-traveling-to-space/) The British Board of Film Classification's content advice describes an extraterrestrial creature stalking and chasing people, hallucinations, jump scares, and body-horror imagery including spontaneous nosebleeds and a painful transformation in which skin bruises, peels, and excretes a strange substance.[1](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/the-astronaut-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdmyndmz)
## Production
Varley pitched the concept to lead producer Brad Fuller in January 2021.[9](https://borrowingtape.com/interviews/the-astronaut-interview-with-writer-director-jess-varley) [Principal photography](https://www.edgepedia.org/principal-photography) was scheduled to begin in Ireland in January 2024, and the production is recorded as completed.[10](https://www.productionlist.com/production/the-astronaut) Producers include Brad Fuller, Eric B. Fleischman, Chris Abernathy, and Cameron Fuller, with production companies including The Wonder Company, Wild Atlantic Pictures, Fifth Season, Bee-Hive Productions, and Fuller Media.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_astronaut_2025) In an interview, Varley said the alien movement design leaned deliberately on the heaviness and gravitas of the [Jurassic Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/jurassic-park) dinosaurs, down to fine-tuning in post-production.[9](https://borrowingtape.com/interviews/the-astronaut-interview-with-writer-director-jess-varley)
## Release
The film premiered at the SXSW Film Festival on March 7, 2025.[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13964560/releaseinfo/) Its earliest commercial release was in Spain on September 26, 2025, followed by a limited United States theatrical release on October 17, 2025, the same day as its video release by Vertical Entertainment.[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Astronaut-The-%282025%29) Later international releases included Russia/CIS (November 27, 2025, as Астронавт), Turkey (December 26, 2025, as Astronot), the [United Arab Emirates](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-arab-emirates) (February 5, 2026), and South Korea (February 5, 2026, as 프로젝트 아스트로).[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Astronaut-The-%282025%29) In the United States it became available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ and to rent or buy on digital platforms, and it also streams on Kanopy with a participating library card.[11](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-astronaut) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_astronaut_2025)
## Reception
**Critical response was mixed to negative.** On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds 38% on the Tomatometer from 26 reviews, with an audience Popcornmeter score of 43 to 44 percent from more than 250 ratings.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_astronaut_2025) Metacritic assigned a Metascore of 40, labeled "Mixed or Average", based on 8 critic reviews, of which 6 were mixed and 2 negative.[5](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-astronaut/critic-reviews/)
Reviewers frequently praised the first half and Mara's performance while criticizing the final act. Catherine Bray of The Guardian gave 3 of 5 stars, writing that the film "has a lot going for it" but "doesn't quite stick the landing".[12](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/sep/16/the-astronaut-review-kate-mara) Lovia Gyarkye of The Hollywood Reporter (50) wrote that Varley's taut observation of isolation loosens and the film devolves into a blunt, clichéd consideration of family.[5](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-astronaut/critic-reviews/) Peter Sobczynski of RogerEbert.com (2 of 4 stars) found the would-be shocking twist not nearly the game-changer it claims to be.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_astronaut_2025) Tara McNamara of Common Sense Media (3 of 5) called it an engrossing "after space" story weighed down mainly by its visual effects.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_astronaut_2025)
**Box office.** The film's theatrical run was small and entirely international. [Box Office Mojo](https://www.edgepedia.org/box-office-mojo) reports a worldwide gross of $111,599, all from international territories including Spain ($17,083), Russia/CIS ($45,920), Türkiye ($40,044), and the United Arab Emirates ($8,552), with no domestic gross recorded.[13](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt13964560/) The Numbers instead reports a worldwide total of $60,325, listing Spain at $17,071 and Turkey at $43,254; the two trackers disagree, and neither records a domestic gross.[3](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Astronaut-The-%282025%29)
## References
1. [The Astronaut, British Board of Film Classification](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/the-astronaut-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmdmyndmz)
2. [The Astronaut (2025), Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_astronaut_2025)
3. [The Astronaut (2025), Box Office and Financial Information, The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Astronaut-The-%282025%29)
4. [The Astronaut (2025) Release info, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13964560/releaseinfo/)
5. [The Astronaut critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-astronaut/critic-reviews/)
6. [The Astronaut, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-astronaut/umc.cmc.41tx0sq8oijfafhe3y0v62zqk)
7. [The ASTRONAUT, PRADT](https://pradt.co/the-astronaut)
8. ['The Astronaut': A New Thriller About the Perils of Traveling to Space, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/the-astronaut-a-new-thriller-about-the-perils-of-traveling-to-space/)
9. [The Astronaut – Interview with Writer/Director Jess Varley, Borrowing Tape](https://borrowingtape.com/interviews/the-astronaut-interview-with-writer-director-jess-varley)
10. [The Astronaut, Production List](https://www.productionlist.com/production/the-astronaut)
11. [The Astronaut streaming: where to watch online?, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-astronaut)
12. [The Astronaut review, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/sep/16/the-astronaut-review-kate-mara)
13. [The Astronaut (2025), Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt13964560/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Science fiction and fantasy films (individual works) › Science fiction and fantasy films of the 2020s › Science fiction films of the 2020s › Titles symbols to L*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license