In The Astronaut, Kate Mara plays a deep-space explorer who recently returned to Earth after a strange and bumpy landing. With a breach in her helmet, she's sent to quarantine on a government estate tied to her father, played by Laurence Fishburne. Suffering hallucinations she's told are normal, she begins to feel like something more might be going on—or perhaps that something came back with her. It's a classic horror setup. Or is it? This astronaut has to find out for herself.The writer/director is Jess Varley, who premiered the film at SXSW 2025 as her first feature. The movie also stars Diego Luna and the young Scarlett Holmes as the final members of Mara's family. David Garbett served as the DP, shooting on the Alexa 35 with Panavision G Series anamorphic lenses to achieve the project's gorgeous look. We got the chance to sit down with Varley just after the film's first SXSW screening to talk about some of the key things she learned on her debut feature, which can help any up-and-coming filmmaker. Enjoy! Be Patient and PersistentVarley was initially inspired to develop the script after reading about the strange, real-life symptoms astronauts experience after missions. It was the seed of an idea that she couldn't shake, but didn't know how to make bigger at first (a common problem among screenwriters, let's be honest). From there, she kept mulling, finally finding the structure and final act when on the road for a long trip. She met with producer Brad...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Wednesday, 12 March