Buckle up for a wild ride into space with this sci-fi movie starring one of Hollywood‘s biggest names, airing on Channel 4 tonight.

Following the story of an astronaut, Ad Astra is a 2019 sci-fi film with Brad Pitt at the heart of it, and fans have plenty to say about his performance. The story sees Roy McBride venture into space on an important mission to find his father, who disappeared whilst exploring extraterrestrial life.

Whilst on this journey, he himself finds an attraction to the same obsession as his father’s with finding alien life. Although, what was once a quest to find his dad has now turned into an experience to find answers within himself.

When the director began working on the film, he made a big statement to say they were aiming for Ad Astra to be the “most realistic” depiction of space travel in a movie to date. Many would agree that was achieved with this film as they praise its visual effects and sound.

A Rotten Tomatoes review reads: “This movie conveys the vast emptiness of space travel, the time it takes to get somewhere and how a person deals with that and thoughts about life prior when going on such an endeavour that can have a large impact on someone. Great performance by Brad Pitt. Beautiful concept.”

Another review says: “An overlooked gem of a film. At first glance, it appears to be a movie about space and humanity’s future. However, at its core, it is about a broken man attempting to reconnect with a distant and cruel father.”

Meanwhile, one fan of the film wrote: “Well written and brought to screen. Brad Pitt shines in character. Great cinematography and visual effects. Enough action, suspense and twists. Very entertaining and gripping adventure.”

With an overall review rating of 83%, it seems many viewers agreed the movie hit the spot for their sci-fi needs, although it was widely underappreciated during its release. It hugely underperformed at the box office, and while it only received one Academy Award nomination for its sound, it dodged all the major categories.

Others, however, agree it didn’t quite deserve the accolades. While the film was cinematic and beautifully shot, with a great lead actor, the storyline itself was lost on some viewers. One wrote: “Despite the lovely camera work and Pitt in top form, this one just fails to lift off.”

Although another fan shared: “Requires focus and patience as it powers up, but it is well worth the ride once it flies. Psychologically compelling, visually astute and thought-provoking. For one, it captures enough of the emotional impact of extended space travel as to convince even those who love the idea of doing so to reconsider.”

Decide for yourself and get lost in space as Ad Astra appears on Channel 4 this Sunday night at 11pm.