Constellation review: Brace yourself for a trippy, hypnotic space thriller

Let’s start with a warning: Constellation is not for everybody. Apple TV+’s latest sci-fi thriller, which premieres February 21, only rewards those with plenty of patience. It trots along slowly over eight hour-long episodes, providing a perplexing yet illuminating study of psychological trauma. The show uses an epic scope—the cosmos!—to pin down the nitty-gritty horrors of isolation and grief. At the very least, Constellation deserves merit for its ambitious attempt to balance the contradictory vastness of space with the astronauts’ claustrophobia and inner turmoil. That said, the central suspense is so damn loopy that it can’t fully sustain itself by the end.

It’s not that Constellation’s mysteries aren’t enticing. The first few episodes set up many complex twists in a way that will often have the viewer wondering out loud, “What the hell is going on?” Astronaut Jo Ericsson (Noomi Rapace) is trapped alone on the International Space Station after an accident kills a teammate and forces the rest to evacuate without her. In a death-defying mission, she eventually makes it back to Earth, but her solo experience on the ISS permanently alters her mind. Once home, she slips back into her routine but realizes her reality is askew. Her car color and kitchen cupboards are different, her child suddenly doesn’t speak their native Swedish, and even her marriage with Magnus (James D’Arcy) is worse than she remembers.

Is Jo’s time in space affecting her memory, or is there a sinister conspiracy bubbling underneath? Constellation leisurely unravels the answers. And we mean leisurely: Episode one doesn’t fully make sense until the fifth installment rolls around, and this toggling between Jo’s internal dilemma and the overarching enigma of the space-time continuum makes for an oddly paced show.

Constellation’s hints at the supernatural—perhaps there’s an alternate universe or parallel dimensions, or maybe Jo’s quest lies only in her head because she’s suffering from severe PTSD—are big driving forces of the show. Series creator Peter Harness’ exploration of this real-vs.-fake dichotomy can be traced to everything from Interstellar to Inception to The OA to Black Mirror. Here, he uses an unfathomable scientific event to microscopically examine human emotions, wanting the unexplainable to try and explain, well, life and what completes it.

For the most part, his script thrives when the story pivots to Jo’s murky relationship with Magnus and her desperate desire to bond with her daughter, Alice (Rosie and Davina Coleman). All Jo wants is to go back home to her 11-year-old when tragedy strikes the ISS, so being unable to recognize her kid’s personality upon returning is devastating. It doesn’t help that no one believes Jo’s crisis. Her employers, friends, and family members would rather she take pills to overcome her trauma. Eventually, Alice, too, figures out something wild is going on.

It’s a pivotal transition when Alice gets properly looped into the narrative because it bolsters Constellation and gives the Coleman twins a chance to shine. They’re both breakout stars, expertly emoting strained feelings of fear, loss, sadness, and acceptance. Rapace, on the other hand, is sadly given primarily one direction throughout: wide-eyed confusion. That sort of makes sense for the character—Jo doesn’t know if she can trust anyone, including herself—but it results in a limited, repetitive turn.

Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about the third co-star. Better Call Saul’s Jonathan Banks plays two roles: As NASA scientist and former astronaut Henry Calderra, he’s calm and composed. As Ben Calderra, who suffers a similar fate to Jo, Banks gets to villainously let loose. Meanwhile, Constellation gets pulled into several discombobulating directions. Luckily, Banks is up to the Jekyll and Hyde-like task.

Despite the hypnotic buildup, though, don’t expect shattering or satisfying revelations. Constellation isn’t the type of drama to tie together loose ends with a neat bow. The ending is jumbled to a degree, potentially to make way for a second season. Still, it’s still a worthy original effort from Harness, with a stellar score and cinematography to boot. Plus, X-Files director Michelle MacLaren helms some terrific episodes to capture the liminal, spooky vibes. Constellation isn’t flawless, but it’s certainly a meaningful, brainy addition the genre.

Constellation premieres February 21 on Apple TV+