Long Distance

A mildly ambitious near-future survival saga that doesn’t inspire a deeper sense of wonder or discovery, Long Distance becomes lost in the cosmos.

More intriguing in concept than execution, this visually striking science-fiction thriller lacks consistent tension while struggling to raise the stakes, along the way suffering from logical inconsistencies that rarely enable it to achieve liftoff.

The thin story opens with a harrowing sequence involving a solo traveler hurtling through space before crash landing on a desolate planet, introducing us to an astronaut named Andy (Anthony Ramos).

From there, the film gradually fills in the circumstances behind his mission as an asteroid miner, where it went wrong, and what he left behind.

With his ship destroyed and his escape pod damaged by fire, Andy is isolated and forced to fend for himself, inside a suit that features a somewhat helpful AI sidekick (voiced by Zachary Quinto) but a limited supply of oxygen.

There’s not much time to get his bearings and seek out Naomi (Naomi Scott), whose distress signal triggers a perilous trek across some harsh terrain, made even more difficult when he must confront some native creatures with contempt for outsiders.

On a personal level, Andy is seeking redemption and still reeling from a family tragedy as he suddenly must confront his own mortality. As his desperation grows, his hopes for rescue dwindle.

Known primarily for broad comedies, the directing tandem of Josh Gordon and Will Speck (Office Christmas Party) craft a stylish depiction of a bleak futuristic landscape that doesn’t become overwhelmed with special effects.

Ramos (In the Heights) generates sympathy while being forced to act by himself, with sparse dialogue, in many of his scenes. However, his character too often comes off as more of a wisecracking frat boy than a highly trained and experienced astronaut or tech engineer.

Meanwhile, the misbegotten screenplay by Spenser Cohen (Extinction) fails to establish a consistent tone with a film that’s only intermittently scary or suspenseful, and during which the shapeshifting beasts are dispatched at random intervals.

In particular, the final act feels especially derivative as it recombines familiar genre elements, rendering Long Distance more silly than substantial.

Rated PG-13, 87 minutes.