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We’re in the middle of January and getting a few new releases, including a big theatrical release and an interesting streaming debut. I give my thoughts on both below. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

I.S.S. (Theaters)
Starring: Ariana DeBose, Chris Messina, John Gallagher, Jr., Pilou Asbaek, Costa Ronin, and Masha Mashkova
Synopsis: Space can be lonely and isolating. It’s also full of dangers. It makes sense that the crew of the International Space Station (I.S.S.), both Russian and American, would need to rely upon one another. They become something of a family. But when they see something horrible happen on Earth, combined with brief instructions to take the station, it sets friends at odds, raising the tension in a place where the smallest mistake can kill you. That setup provides the action and tension here. We begin with a new member (DeBose) arriving and taking in the wonder of the place. Her other two American crewmembers and the three Russian crewmembers are all veterans of the station. They are close and seem to have a deeper connection. But when the incident arises, it fractures that relationship. The American commander (Messina) is loath to believe it will come to violence. But soon, each member must decide how to move forward and support their country. I liked the idea here and this was a strong cast. DeBose does a nice job in the focal role, while Messina, Gallagher, Asbaek, Ronin and Mashkova all in habit their characters well. It’s a small cast and a tight setting, which helps build the tension. I liked how the story moved forward at a good past, not wearing out its welcome. I was a bit under-whelmed by the ending, which keeps it vague, but overall, it was a solid thriller.
Rating: Rated R for some violence and language.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

The Kitchen (Netflix)
Starring: Kane Robinson and Jedaiah Bannerman
Synopsis: Much was made about this because it’s the feature directorial debut from Daniel Kaluuya, who co-wrote the script. He co-directed alongside Kibwe Tavares. The film is set in the near future, a dystopian England where there seems to be a war on the poor. Public housing has been eliminated and the last refuge is The Kitchen, a run-down neighborhood the government is eager to destroy. The film focuses on two residents, Izi (Robinson), an adult who is looking at getting out and Benji (Bannerman), a teen who just lost his mother. Benji is mired in grief and looking for his father. He clings to Izi, at least at first, as someone to show him the ropes. But when caring for someone else threatens to derail his plans, Izi has to make a choice. There’s a lot going on here in terms of a comment on class, culture and grief. There are a lot of moving pieces here but for me the characters and the world weren’t well enough defined. The performances are fine, but the story somewhat fizzles for me as it moves to points where we should be hitting an emotional high. It was fine but not overly compelling and for me it fell short of its lofty aims.
Rating: Rated R for language.
Verdict: Two stars out of five