I.S.S. (2023)

Six crew members, one space station and two governments each ordering their side to seize it: I.S.S. has the premise for a lean, mean B movie, and it only half delivers. Ariana DeBose plays Dr. Kira Foster, who arrives alongside NASA colleague Christian Campbell, gets her first look at Earth from orbit, and has the overview effect explained to her by her new crewmates. Then nuclear war breaks out on the planet below, ground communication fails, and the station’s orbit begins to decay. Commander Gordon Barrett gets a coded order. Everyone assumes the Russians got one too. DeBose is strong, and the cramped modules squeeze out real tension early. But trained scientists flip into paranoid enemies almost overnight, and the last act comes apart. CinemaScore audiences gave it a C minus, though critics were kinder, at 61% on Rotten Tomatoes. A 5.0 because the setup is gripping and the follow-through drifts off into space. $409 says the next time your coworkers go quiet in the break room, you assume somebody got a coded order.

What works: Ariana DeBose anchors it well, and the claustrophobic modules squeeze real suspense out of six people who suddenly can’t trust each other.

What doesn’t: Highly trained scientists turn on each other far too quickly, and the final stretch falls apart instead of paying off the premise.

Who it’s for: Fans of tight, single-location thrillers who’ll forgive a wobbly script for a great hook.