Drama

The Astronaut (2025) – Simple Alien Story with Decent Experience

Harsh Goyal March 22, 2026 Drama

So I was just randomly surfing on JioHotstar when this film came in front of me — The Astronaut (2025). Saw the poster, watched the trailer and felt this could be a decent watch. I enjoy alien and sci-fi type films so without thinking much I just played it. Here is my honest review.

One line verdict — Simple alien story, decent experience, worth watching once.

The Astronaut 2025 sci-fi alien movie poster review

Story and First Impression

This is not a very high budget sci-fi film but it tries to tell a different kind of alien story. The film follows an astronaut who returns to Earth after a mission and starts experiencing strange events — making her believe that something has followed her back. From the beginning the film keeps you connected and does not drag unnecessarily.

What Works

The biggest positive is that the movie stays engaging throughout. The colour grading and overall visuals feel quite realistic. The makers have clearly tried to use practical elements instead of depending heavily on VFX — and this actually works in the film's favour. Everything feels grounded and natural, especially the house scenes and setups.

This grounded feel is what separates it from typical sci-fi films that rely too much on CGI and end up looking fake.

What Does Not Work

The VFX is not strong. Clearly not at Hollywood level and in some moments it feels weak. But it is manageable and does not completely ruin the experience.

The real problem is the ending. After the interval the story becomes predictable and you can easily guess what is going to happen next. Because of this the final impact feels less powerful than it should have been. A bolder ending would have made this a film people actually talk about.

Acting

All actors have done a decent job. Nothing extraordinary but nobody damaged the film either. Everyone did what was needed and the film kept moving. For this scale of production that is honestly good enough.

Basic Details

Director: Jess Varley
Cast: Kate Mara, Laurence Fishburne, Gabriel Luna
Genre: Sci-Fi, Horror, Thriller
Runtime: 91 minutes
Where to Watch: JioHotstar

Final Verdict

If you enjoy films like Alien, Predator, or similar sci-fi thrillers then you will find this a decent watch. It is not something very special or memorable. But as a simple one-time watch for alien film lovers, it works.

Rating: ⭐ 6/10 — One-time watch recommended for sci-fi fans.

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Thanks for reading. Harsh Goyal (hgbyhg) signing off.

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