Slingshot is a psychological science fiction thriller that follows astronaut John, played by Casey Affleck, as he descends into paranoia and madness during a mission to Saturn's moon, Titan. Directed by Mikael Håfström, the film creates a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere aboard the spacecraft, Odyssey 1, where John and his crewmates, including Laurence Fishburne's Captain Franks, begin to question the mission's safety and their own mental stability. As John experiences vivid hallucinations and struggles to distinguish between reality and delusion, the film explores themes of isolation and psychological breakdown, with Affleck delivering a strong performance as the increasingly unstable protagonist.
While Slingshot succeeds in building tension and delivering engaging performances, it struggles with an overly familiar narrative, echoing previous space films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Moon. The film's final twist, is effective but predictable for genre veterans. At nearly two hours, the slow pacing also hinders the film's impact, with the final act injecting some much-needed urgency. Ultimately, Slingshot is a solid but unremarkable entry in the psychological thriller genre, bolstered by its atmosphere and acting but weighed down by its well-trodden premise.
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