Last Updated on September 6, 2024 by
Slingshot is a 2024 Sci-Fi thriller Movie Directed by Mikael Håfström. The film stars Casey Affleck, Laurence Fishburne, and David Morrissey, with a runtime of 1h 49m, and was released on August 30, 2024.
Slingshot is a science fiction that has the essence of a thriller that brings one through a space odyssey on the ship Odyssey 1. As they travel toward Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, they start questioning something terrifying: What if instead of discovering problems on the ship these sensors are themselves faulty? The crew starts seeing blown fuses and ruptured pipes even as the ship’s systems continue to report normalcy. He felt like the ship was challenging him saying, “Who are you going to believe me or what you are seeing?”
Slingshot uses this situation to explore a deep philosophical question: Who are we to believe when our very perception might be deceiving us?
The story follows three crew members: John (Casey Affleck), Nash (Tomer Capone), and Captain Franks (Laurence Fishburne). They are in search of a new source of renewable energy that a company wishes to mine deep beneath the surface of Titan. However, to get there, they have to perform some high-risk maneuvers such as using gravity from Jupiter to push them toward the intended place. To add more pressure, they need to undergo several hyper-sleeping cycles to save resources and energy. Every morning, they are slightly less certain of what is genuine and what is a figment of their imagination. The movie immediately establishes the suspense and the dark feeling of the story.
In the first shots, John wakes up from hyper-sleep with a hangover, and a recorded voice informs him about the possible consequences of taking sedatives. Nash then goes on to remind the same message to John almost verbatim, viewers fully encouraged that John may not have the most accurate perspective as the events progress.
This scene keeps the crew in a state of confusion over their next move as they continue to find signs that the ship is damaged. Nash wants to return safely to the planet Earth but Captain Franks does not accept it and wants to go on with the mission. John is left in a dilemma, not knowing who he should believe in. Frustration between them only escalates as they progress through the months the time they spend close quarters and the slingshot moment is near. What the movie is mainly about is the struggle of these three men to maintain their stability as the pressure of their tasks rises.
However, the film may have some issues regarding its actual construction that might take away from its overall feel. It frequently presents scenes from John’s life on Earth as flashbacks to the main story. These are presented as flashbacks and show how John falls in love with yet another NASA astronaut, Zoe, portrayed by Emily Beecham well-acting adds substance to John’s character. But they also destroy the suspenseful mood on the spaceship and allow the viewers too many breaks from the tension. The scenes on Earth are fine but most of them do not seem to be very relevant to the plot of the movie. Returning to space, the film’s attempt to describe the gradual unveiling of John’s insanity can be observed in the stereotypical horror movie stunts such as blurred frames, whispers, and sudden jumps.
The screenplay is credited to R. Scott Adams and Nathan Parker and relies on the surprise ending that will likely be no surprise to most of the movie’s audiences. It also has a few plot twists that depend on the characters doing the wrong thing, which is annoying as the protagonists are supposed to be astronauts. Some of this can be attributed to the fact they are losing their grip on sanity but it feels like plot convenience at some points.
There is Laurence Fishburne as Captain Franks who does a good job in his performance. He seems ideal for this kind of role that involves tricking the viewer into a certain perception of the character. Sometimes he is quite rational and commanding, whereas in other instances he can be rather threatening and even violent. Sometimes, he’s also an ordinary man—offering a drink and dancing to the cup of homebrewed moonshine, enjoying the song “Oh Lord, Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” performed by The Animals.
In the final moments, Slingshot finds a clever way to explore its central question: The world is there, something we can know only through our fallible organs of perception. Still, to sum it up, one can proclaim that while the final of Nutcracker was powerful and skillfully made, the movie itself could not reach a higher potential. I believe that as the Odyssey 1 crew embarked on a mission toward an intriguing concept, it found itself somewhat adrift towards the end.
Slingshot 2024 Parents Guide Age Rating
Slingshot is rated R by the Motion Picture Rating (MPA) for language and some violence/bloody images.
Language: There is strong and, possibly, obscene language in the film, such as the use of the word ‘f–k’ and its derivatives several times. Profanity might occur in several cases and situations; regarding certain characters, whether they are tense or afraid. This has included the use of abusive words, loud utterances, and even expressions of anger or temper tantrums. Sometimes, characters may use words that could be interpreted as insulting or degrading; this is a depiction of their declining mental health and stress levels.
Violence and Gore: Some scenes might be considered violent or at least shocking. The cast demonstrates symptoms such as hallucinations, increased paranoia, and mental deterioration, and these aspects may be particularly disturbing for viewers who are young or easily disturbed. Passionate moments are revealed which may constitute physical violence between the characters but it is not as detailed. But still, the increased tension of conflicts might raise the level of these scenes. There are scenes in the movie where the characters are harmed by the failing ship. In these scenes, there could be instances where blood or wounds are depicted though not to an extreme degree or as violent. Stress is heightened by the feeling of powerlessness and the prospect of being in space.
Sexual Content: The references to the Earth are illustrated by scenes revealing the affection between John and Zoe. Although these scenes are more oriented towards the affective bond between characters, there might be cases of a kiss or suggestion of intercourse. I do not expect there to be any vulgar descriptions of sexual relationships or harassing comments in speech. These are implicit and may not be very obvious for viewers to notice in contrast to the first set.
Substance Use: There is a scene that focuses on Captain Franks drinking moonshine he has distilled himself while being in the spaceship. While this scene does not endorse the use of alcohol, it does depict the character as using alcohol in a manner that could be interpreted as nonchalant or even revelrous. It also shows a process of hyper-sleep accompanied by the administration of sedatives as one of the elements of the film.
Summary: Slingshot is a psychological space thriller Movie that includes elements of science fiction movies with philosophical denouements. Given its harsh vulgarity, high psychological suspense, themes, and scenes of drug use and violence – it is recommended for mature audiences only.
