Proxima
Proxima

Proxima

2019Movie107 minFrench

Sarah is a French astronaut training at the European Space Agency in Cologne. She is the only woman in the arduous program. She lives alone with Stella, her seven year old daughter. Sarah feels guilty that she cannot spend more time with her child. Her love is overpowering, unsettling. When Sarah is chosen to join the crew of a year-long space mission called Proxima, it creates chaos in the mother-daughter relationship.

Read Reviews

Insights

IMDb6.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes78%
Metacritic65/100
Google Users74%
Director: Alice WinocourGenres: Drama, Sci-Fi

Plot Summary

Sarah, an astronaut training for a year-long mission on the International Space Station, must balance her demanding professional life with her deep emotional connection to her young daughter. As she undergoes rigorous physical and psychological preparation, she grapples with the immense personal sacrifice required to achieve her dream of space exploration. The film follows her journey of intense training, strained relationships, and the ultimate test of her resolve as she prepares to leave Earth behind.

Critical Reception

Proxima received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its sensitive portrayal of motherhood and the challenges faced by female astronauts. The film was lauded for its grounded approach to science fiction, focusing more on the human drama and emotional toll of space travel than on futuristic technology. Eva Green's performance was widely commended for its depth and nuance.

What Reviewers Say

  • A poignant and realistic drama about the sacrifices of astronauts, particularly mothers.
  • Eva Green delivers a compelling performance as a woman torn between her career and family.
  • The film offers a nuanced look at the psychological and emotional challenges of space missions.

Google audience: Audience reviews highlight the film's emotional resonance and its effective depiction of the bond between a mother and daughter. Many appreciated the realistic portrayal of astronaut training and the difficult choices faced by the protagonist. Some viewers found the pacing slow at times but generally agreed on the strength of the performances.

Awards & Accolades

Selected for the Contemporary World Cinema program at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. Eva Green received a nomination for Best Actress at the 2021 César Awards.

Fun Fact

The film was inspired by director Alice Winocour's own experiences as a mother and her observations of the pressures faced by women in demanding careers.

AI-generated overview · Verify ratings on official sources

My Review

TMDB Reviews

3 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

I was really disappointed with this rather dull, dreary documentary-style story about "Sarah" (Eva Green) who has dreamed since she was a child of going into space. When her opportunity arrives, she must face the rigours of the training, se...
SWITCH.

SWITCH.

'Proxima' isn't a visually flashy film, it's naturalistic and almost documentary-like in its approach - the end credits are even accompanied by photos of real-life female astronauts. But this only enhances the intimacy of this earthbound dr...
Stephen Campbell

Stephen Campbell

**_An emotive family drama that will disappoint those hoping for sci-fi bombast_** >_Anyone who sits on top of the largest hydrogen-oxygen fuelled system in the world, knowing they're going to light the bottom, and doesn't get a little w...