Eva Green stars as a female astronaut who overcomes sexism and her own doubts for a journey into the universe.
Man’s journey into space has fascinated filmmakers for decades and been explored countless times on screen from The Right Stuff (1983) to Apollo 13 (1995) to First Man (2018). But it’s always been just that: a man’s journey. Proxima breaks out of the mold by looking toward women and the future of space.
Alice Winocour’s thoughtful and tender drama finally puts a female astronaut at the center of a story about space exploration in a way I’ve never seen before. Of course there are plenty of stories about women in space (Gravity and even Alien to name a few), but those films are not about the woman’s journey to get there. They take place in worlds where women in space are treated like everyday occurrences, which isn’t to argue that there’s inherently an issue with that—those stories have their own set of benefits.
But where are the stories that feel a little more real? Where women are in the room, but in supremely limited numbers. Where the sexism they face isn’t the rampant villainy of chauvinists, but the more mundane microaggressions women face every day in almost every workplace.
This is the story Winocour is telling.
Proxima is set in the not-so-distant future where astronauts are preparing for the first manned mission to Mars. Sarah (Eva Green), a French astronaut, becomes a last-minute addition to the historic crew. We follow her in the month leading up to her departure as she balances training for the mission with being a single mom to her eight-year-old daughter Stella (Zélie Boulant-Lemesle).
Alice Winocour’s thoughtful and tender drama finally puts a female astronaut at the center of a story about space exploration in a way I’ve never seen before.
The needle Winocour so marvelously threads here is one where she manages to tell a story that gives equal weight to the two central roles of Sarah’s life: mother and astronaut. The scales never fully tip one way or the other and it’s in watching Sarah walk that tightrope that the film creates its sense of drama.
All we want is for Sarah to succeed. We want to see her dream come true and we want her to be able to navigate this difficult period of time with her daughter. We want her to have it all while watching exactly how impossible it is for women to even attempt to do so.
It’s heartbreaking to watch Sarah smile at the underhanded jibes from her fellow crewmate (Matt Dillon) who wonders more about what kind of cook she might be than what her skills are. While at the same time, she’s forced to deal with her own separation anxiety from her child who needs her (though perhaps not as much as Sarah initially thinks).
Winocour regularly uses narration to intertwine these two parts of Sarah’s life, often through Stella and Sarah’s voices blending together over a scene. At one point, Sarah narrates the blog entry she’s writing to document her training for the mission. Right as she reads the line, “I am a space person” (an acknowledgement of how space has defined her life) we suddenly hear Stella’s voice join hers and the two read the line together. They are space people, albeit in different ways.
And it’s that moment that best summarizes what the film is so expertly able to do. It knows that it’s not truly possible to cleave these two parts of Sarah’s life in half. As much as she’s defined by her relationship to space as an astronaut, so is her daughter’s as the child of one. When Sarah looks to the stars and sees a vast wilderness ripe for exploration, Stella will look up and first and foremost see her mother.
What rockets Proxima toward greatness, however, is in its refusal to be cliché. Moments arise where you expect the story to play out the way we’ve seen it before and it simple doesn’t. When the rocket finally takes off, it eschews the standard shot of the crew in their flight suits watching as the Earth shrinks below them. No. Instead, we stay on level ground. We see what Stella sees. Because this is a movie that understands that whatever happens down there on the ground is just as important and as miraculous as what happens up there in the stars.
Proxima Trailer:
Read next: The Spool's Best New Releases
Streaming guides
The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
The praises of live TV streaming services don’t need to be further sung. By now, we all know that compared to clunky, commitment-heavy cable, live TV is cheaper and much easier to manage. But just in case you’re still on the fence about jumping over to the other side, or if you’re just unhappy with ... The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
Season 3 of the hotly anticipated Power spin-off, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, is arriving on Starz soon, so you know what that means: it’s the ’90s again in The Southside, and we’re back with the Thomas family as they navigate the ins and outs of the criminal underworld they’re helping build. Mekai Curtis is ... How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re so back! To celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, the BBC is producing a three-episode special starring none other than the Tenth/Fourteenth Doctor himself, David Tennant. And to the supreme delight of fans (that would be me, dear reader), the Doctor will be joined by old-time companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and ... How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
For whatever reason, The Hunger Games series isn’t available in the same countries around the world. You’ll find the first and second (aka the best) installments in Hong Kong, for instance, but not the third and fourth. It’s a frustrating dilemma, especially if you don’t even have a single entry in your region, which is ... Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
How to watch Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin Season 2
After a years-long hiatus, scientist and explorer Albert Lin is coming back to National Geographic with a fresh new season of Lost Cities, renamed “Lost Cities Revealed.” In the past, Lin, who is probably the closest we’ll ever get to a real-life Indiana Jones, has traveled everywhere from the ancient Knights Templar in Israel to ... How to watch Lost Cities Revealed with Albert Lin Season 2
How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
To date, Paramount Network has only two original shows on air right now: Yellowstone and Bar Rescue. The network seems to have its hands full with on-demand streaming service Paramount+, which is constantly stacked with a fresh supply of new shows. But Yellowstone and Bar Rescue are so sturdy and expansive that the network doesn’t ... How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
Previously “Women’s Entertainment,” We TV has since rebranded to accurately reflect its name and be a more inclusive lifestyle channel. It’s home to addictive reality gems like Bold and Bougie, Bridezillas, Marriage Boot Camp, and The Untold Stories of Hip Hop. And when it’s not airing original titles, it has on syndicated shows like 9-1-1, ... How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
You’d be hard-pressed to find a bad show airing on FX. The channel has made a name for itself as a bastion of high-brow TV, along with HBO and AMC. It’s produced shows like Atlanta, Fargo, The Americans, Archer, and more recently, Shogun. But because it’s owned by Disney, it still airs several blockbusters in ... How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
How to Watch A&E With A Free Trial
If you’re a fan of true crime and insider docu-shows like The First 48 and Court Cam, then you’re probably already familiar with A&E. The cable channel is home to other reality TV gems like Hoarders, Duck Dynasty, and Storage Wars (they’ve moved on to spin-offs like Road Wars, Customer Wars, and Prison Wars now). ... How to Watch A&E With A Free Trial
How to Watch Unimás With a Free Trial
As the sister channel of the much bigger Univision, Unimás is home to popular Spanish-language telenovelas and talk shows (yes, including El Gordo y La Flaca), as well as a couple of sports events and programs. Most notably, however, Unimás also operates a couple of station affiliates around the country, so it also reports local ... How to Watch Unimás With a Free Trial
How to Watch TNT With A Free Trial
For many sports fans, TNT is a non-negotiable. It broadcasts NBA, MLB, NHL, college basketball, and All Elite Wrestling matches. And, as a bonus, it also has reruns of shows like Supernatural, Charmed, and NCIS, as well as films like The Avengers, Dune, and Justice League. But while TNT used to be a cable staple, ... How to Watch TNT With A Free Trial