From Jeff Nelson

The never-ending void of space is the perfect setting for a story about isolation and the unknown. Pavlo Ostrikov explores that exactly in his directorial feature debut U Are the Universe, which uncovers warmth and beauty in the coldest and most harrowing of places. Many of its sci-fi plot beats are familiar but they’re executed with a confident and emotive hand. 

Ukrainian space trucker Andriy Melnyk (Volodymyr Kravchuk) begins the journey back to Earth after completing his job of dumping nuclear waste on Jupiter’s moon, Callisto. He discovers that Earth exploded along with everything he ever knew. Andriy believes himself to be the only human alive in the universe until he receives a call from Catherine, a French woman, who is stuck on a distant space station. He decides to make the perilous journey to find her.

Cargo ship Obriy is stocked with all of the essentials for the four-year journey to and from Callisto, including a gym, kitchen, and robot companion Maxim. Andriy breaks the video communication system after a heated scolding from his employer, which will land him in trouble when he returns to Earth. However, all of his life’s stresses melted along with his home planet after it exploded from an unexplained tragedy. Maxim’s sole mission is to protect Andriy, but the computer struggles to save more than its human passenger’s physical well-being, but his humanity, as well.

Andriy’s attitude shifts from initial relief in shedding his responsibilities to a deep depression, where he prefers to indulge in his limited resources, rather than extend a seemingly meaningless existence. Maxim may only be a computer, but Ostrikov’s quick-witted screenplay does a good job of generating characterizations that make Andriy’s technological relationship compelling. He finds purpose after connecting with Catherine, communicating via audio technology with 3-hour delays between receipts due to distance. Andriy grows exhausting in spots, but his relationships with Maxim and Catherine unleash further dimensions to the character, which allow tenderness to shine through his hardened exterior.

U Are the Universe is a romantic sci-fi drama with built-in survival tension that mounts along with Andriy’s depleting resources on a cargo ship that isn’t fit for the trek to Catherine’s ship in Saturn’s orbit before she dies. The pacing is a little spotty, yet Ostrikov always manages to get the film back on track, while toying with audience expectations surrounding otherwise predictable plot points. 

This space drama is almost entirely confined to a single claustrophobic location within Obriy, with the occasional perspective shifting to outside the cargo ship, which looks quite good for an indie production. However, the impressive production design really brings the cargo ship to life. Kravchuk is serviceable in this leading performance, allowing the pathos to land, even when acting across from a computer.

U Are the Universe is a sci-fi dramedy gem bursting with tenderness, where hope and human connection challenge the perils of space. Ostrikov’s directorial feature debut ponders some cumbersome themes that it can only scratch the surface of within its 101-minute runtime, but he makes quite the impact here nonetheless. The final shot is one that sticks with you, echoing long beyond its ending credits.

Rating: 3.5/5

U Are the Universe played at Fantastic Fest 2024 on September 21st, 2024. 

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