"What if something hitched a ride back with me?" "Figure out exactly what that 'something' is, will you?" Vertical has just dropped the main official trailer for 2025's The Astronaut, a sci-fi thriller crafted by filmmaker Jessica Varley, who steps into the spotlight with her feature directorial debut. This film is set to grace US theaters starting in October, strategically timed for the horror season due to its spine-chilling nature.
After narrowly surviving re-entry from her maiden space voyage, astronaut Sam Walker finds herself under NASA's watchful eye at a high-security rehab facility nestled deep in the woods for medical testing and recuperation. But when eerie incidents start unfolding around the premises, she begins to suspect that an otherworldly entity has tagged along with her back to Earth. Is it a tangible threat, or merely a figment of her imagination? Or could it be something entirely different?
The stellar cast includes Kate Mara portraying Sam, alongside Laurence Fishburne, Gabriel Luna, Ivana Milicevic, and Macy Gray. This gripping tale made its grand premiere at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival earlier this year. Compared to the initial teaser we shared, this trailer is a vast improvement, teasing an unsettling thriller that keeps the audience guessing about "what's really going on?" right up until the climax. My curiosity is piqued...
Humanity is on the brink of discovering that we're not alone in the universe... When astronaut Sam Walker returns from her first space mission, she's miraculously found alive in a punctured capsule adrift far off the Atlantic coast. Under mandatory quarantine, her adoptive father, General William Harris, places her under NASA's surveillance in a secluded, high-security house deep in the woods. Reunited with her husband, Sam seems to be adjusting and gearing up for her next mission. However, as unsettling events start to unfold around the property, she fears that an extraterrestrial presence has followed her back, and the very agencies meant to safeguard her are putting her life in jeopardy. Even those closest to her can't be trusted.
The Astronaut is penned and directed by American indie filmmaker Jess Varley, marking her feature directorial debut after a string of acclaimed shorts. Produced by Brad Fuller, Eric B. Fleischman, Chris Abernathy, and Cameron Fuller, this thriller made its initial splash at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival earlier this year. Vertical is set to unleash Jess Varley's The Astronaut in select US theaters starting October 17th, 2025, this coming fall. Are you ready to watch this?
