Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
A troubled psychologist is sent to investigate the crew of an isolated research station orbiting a bizarre planet.
Soderbergh's Solaris is a meditative, visually sumptuous adaptation of Lem's novel that distinguishes itself through Roger Deakins-adjacent cinematography and a genuinely hypnotic atmosphere. The cinematography is the clear standout — slow, deliberate compositions and cool color palettes create an immersive, dreamlike quality. The acting from Clooney and McElhone is earnest but somewhat restrained, occasionally tipping into emotional flatness. The plot faithfully preserves the philosophical core of grief and identity from the source material but struggles to generate momentum or dramatic tension in its own right, feeling more like a mood piece than a structured narrative. As a remake of Tarkovsky's 1972 masterpiece and an adaptation of an already-adapted novel, its novelty is inherently limited — it offers a leaner, more accessible interpretation but doesn't substantially reframe the material. The ending is quietly affecting but perhaps too elliptical to land with full emotional weight for audiences unfamiliar with the source.