Luckily, he’s not alone. On Earth, he’s guided by no-nonsense mission director Eva (Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall), while in space he encounters a stony lifeform he dubs Rocky. It’s a testament to Ryan Gosling’s ever-affable charm that he builds chemistry with both, creating two distinct strains of buddy comedy along the way.
When Ryland pushes the stoic Eva to open up to her team, she finally relents at a karaoke party. Launching into Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times,” the weight of their mission hangs on every note, revealing a vulnerability that mirrors Ryland’s own. It’s a showstopping moment from Hüller that captures the film’s central idea: we can’t shield ourselves from the hardships of the universe, but at least we don’t have to face them alone.