Knives Out Director Rian Johnson Recommends Brad Pitt’s Ad Astra

Rian Johnson, the director best known for films such as Looper and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, has a [...]

By Jamie Jirak

Rian Johnson, the director best known for films such as Looper and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, has a new movie coming out later this year, but he's also taking the time to plug the work of his fellow filmmakers. Johnson recently took to Twitter to praise Ad Astra, the new sci-fi film starring Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Nega, Donald Sutherland, and Liv Tyler. The film was directed by James Gray, who also helmed The Lost City of Z. According to Johnson, Ad Astra is a must-see in theaters.

"Ad Astra is mutant hybrid of 2001 and Apocalypse Now, it's weird and smart and beautiful. Don't miss it on the big screen," Johnson wrote.

Johnson isn't the only person who seemed to enjoy the Pitt-led film. Currently, the movie stands at 81% on Rotten Tomatoes with 185 reviews. However, the film's audience score is much lower, coming in at 58% with 189 reviews. It sounds like the film is an acquired taste, and will likely appeal to hardcore sci-fi fans.

Ad Astra stars Pitt as Roy McBride, an astronaut who travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father, Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones). Not only does Roy believe that Clifford has been dead for years, but his disappearance could be tied to a mystery that threatens humans on Earth.

The film has been in various stages of development since 2016, with the goal being to bring to life a terrifying take on space travel.

"I'm terrified by it." Gray told Collider in 2017. "The science-fiction genre is so tricky because there are elements of fantasy usually involved, and there are also fantastical elements. What I'm trying to do is the most realistic depiction of space travel that's been put in a movie and to basically say, 'Space is awfully hostile to us.' It's kind of a Heart of Darkness story about traveling to the outer edge of our solar system. I have a lot of hopes for it but it is certainly ambitious…"

Johnson's new film, Knives Out, hits theaters in November and featured a star-studded cast, which includes Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ana de Armas, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon, Lakeith Stanfield, Don Johnson, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, and Christopher Plummer.

Ad Astra is now playing in theaters everywhere, and Knives Out will be released on November 27th.

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