“I.S.S.” follows United States and Russian astronauts on the International Space Station, who are instructed to take the vessel over by any means necessary after a worldwide conflict breaks out on Earth.

The entire duration of this film takes place inside or around the I.S.S., so it’s limited to a certain extent. Still, most of the visuals are well executed to make it as immersive as possible. Along with that, it utilizes a lot of close-ups, really hammering home the claustrophobic nature of the setting.

By nature, this is a compelling story. As the astronauts themselves say, this is supposed to be the one place where they put politics and everything happening down on Earth aside. In this instance, however, their countries give them an objective that they’re expected to follow. It almost turns into an examination of human nature, as these characters have to decide who they can trust and who they want to protect when chaos breaks loose.

The runtime of “I.S.S.” is 95 minutes — there are times when it feels overlong, and other times when it feels not long enough. Specifically in the first half, the movie effectively builds tension while also clumsily dragging along. In the second half, however, several aspects are rushed. Therefore, some more work could’ve been done in the editing to make this flow better overall.

The film would have also greatly benefited from adding more of a mystery aspect to it. It shows the audience who is lying and who is telling the truth each step of the way, eliminating any aspect of surprise. Instead of being able to analyze the characters for clues, this ends up as a more straightforward viewing experience.

“I.S.S.” features impressive cinematography, solid performances and a gripping storyline. It never takes sides in the issue, being more focused on human nature itself.

Rating: 3 out of 5