Summary
Brad Pittis one of the most profitable actors of his generation, but that hasn’t saved him from some divisive projects, and one, in particular, divided critics and audiences the most. Brad Pitt has explored a variety of genres throughout his acting career, starting with drama in 1988’sThe Dark Side of the Sun, his first leading role. Pitt rose to fame in 1991 thanks to his role in Ridley Scott’sThelma & Louise, but his big break arrived three years later with Neil Jordan’s gothic horror movieInterview with the Vampire.
Since then, Pitt has made a bit of everything – from sci-fi thrillers like12 Monkeysto war dramas likeSeven Years in Tibetand action comedies likeBullet Train–, all of them showcasing his unique charm. However, notevery Brad Pitt moviehas been well-received by critics and general audiences, but not all of them have had a marked difference between the critics' and the audience’s reception. Unfortunately, one of Pitt’s 2019 movies marked a disappointing first in his career as his most divisive movie, but it deserved a lot better.
2019 was the year Brad Pitt starred in Quentin Tarantino’sOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood, which gave him his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
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Ad Astrawas well-received by critics, but it was a box office bomb.
In 2019, Brad Pitt starred inAd Astra, a psychological sci-fi movie directed by James Gray.Ad Astratells the story of Major Roy McBride (Pitt), an astronaut who is informed that the mysterious power surges that threaten to destabilize human civilization have been traced to the Lima Project. This is a space station in orbit around Neptune sent 29 years earlier to search for intelligent life, and Roy’s father, H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones), was the project’s leader. Roy agrees to the mission of crossing the solar system to uncover the truth about the Lima Project, the power surges, and his father’s disappearance.
Despite its interesting premise and stunning visuals, as well as its similarities to recent movies sent in space (such asThe MartianandInterstellar), Ad Astra wasn’t a success.Ad Astrawas well-received by critics, but it was a box office bomb,grossing $135 million worldwide against an $80-100 million budget– however, it was nominated for different awards, mostly for its cinematography, visual effects, and production design, including a Best Sound Mixing nomination at the 2020 Academy Awards.
The same yearAd Astrawas nominated at the Oscars, Brad Pitt won Best Supporting Actor forOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Ad Astrahas an 83% critics score, but it has a 40% audience score.
It’s not surprising when a movie fails with both critics and audiences, butAd Astramarked a first in Pitt’s career witha huge difference between its critics and audience scores onRotten Tomatoes. At the time of writing,Ad Astrahas an 83% critics score, granting it a “fresh” certificate, but it has a 40% audience score, giving it a “rotten” label. Although there are movies in Pitt’s filmography with low scores in both,Ad Astrais the one with the biggest difference between them, proving how divisive it was.
Ad Astra’s most praised element was its visual effects, followed by its nuanced storytelling.
Critics praised different elements ofAd Astrathat perfectly combined to make it both an exciting and emotionally charged space adventure.Ad Astra’s most praised element was its visual effects, followed by its nuanced storytelling and its exploration of the bond between father and son in a sci-fi setting.Pitt’s performance was also praised, with some critics calling it his best performance to date, and Gray’s direction was also pointed out as one ofAd Astra’s biggest strengths. The audience, however, had a different opinion.
Viewers criticized its unoriginal plot, pace, and how different it was from what the trailers showed.
Although many viewers agreed thatAd Astra’s visuals are the best part of the movie, they criticized its unoriginal plot, pace, and how different it was from what the trailers showed.Viewers also weren’t on board with Pitt’s quieter and more emotional performance, calling it “monotonous” and the movie as a whole “boring”.Ad Astra’s box office failure might have also been the result of its competition in theaters, as it was released alongsideDownton Abbey, which was a box office hit.
Ad Astrarequired a different performance from Pitt.
Ad Astrawas different from what the audience is used to seeing from Brad Pitt, who isn’t an actor seen in many sci-fi movies, especially those set in space.Ad Astraalso required a different performance from Pitt, as the character was quieter and going through a lot of emotional turmoil, which he wonderfully portrayed. Surely,Ad Astrahad its flaws, such as moments where nothing made sense, and it could have benefited from a slightly faster pace, but as it is, it’s a pretty enjoyable, emotional, and visually stunning watch.
Along withOnce Upon a Time in HollywoodandBullet Train,Ad Astrais one of Brad Pitt’s best movies in recent years, but unlike the rest, it didn’t reach its right audience.Ad Astracould benefit from the gift of timeand could eventually get the recognition it deserves, but it marked a first in Brad Pitt’s career due to how divisive it was.
Ad Astra
Brad Pitt stars in Ad Astra as astronaut Roy McBride, who embarks on a mission to Neptune to find his missing father (Tommy Lee Jones) in the outer reaches of space. Liv Tyler and Donald Sutherland appear in this 2019 sci-fi movie directed by James Gray.
