U Are The Universe

When it comes to space-themed science fiction, there are usually two general approaches. One favours spectacle, showing us distant worlds, technological marvels, space battles or fights between humans and alien creatures. The other is more introspective, dealing with the emotions and existential dilemmas within the microcosm of human mind and soul. With his debut feature U Are the Universe, Ukrainian filmmaker Pavlo Ostrikov takes the latter approach, but traces of the former can still be observed in certain details.

Simply put, U Are the Universe tells the story of loneliness, longing and the human need for connection in space and in life in general following an apocalyptic event. One could as well see it as Covid-metaphor, given our recent experiences of being forced into isolation. But the circumstances of its production, which was well underway, yet far from being completed when Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, adds another layer to it. The fact that it is finished and launched to the festival circuit, from its premiere at Toronto’s Discovery sidebar last year to the screenings at Fantastic Fest, Thessaloniki and Tallinn Black Nights all the way to Glasgow, Tromso, goEast in Wiesbaden and Haapsalu White Nights this year is quite an achievement on its own.

Ostrikov opens the film with a retro animated TV ad for a job of a space garbage trucker whose responsibility is to haul the nuclear waste from Earth to places deep in our solar system. Then we meet our hero, the Ukrainian everyman Andriy (Volodymyr Kravchuk) who has accepted that unglamorous position. He is not particularly good at it, we learn that he screwed up something bigtime, so he would probably have to find another gig once he gets back to Earth. The trick is: our homeworld explodes for an undisclosed reason, resulting in Andriy achieving something nobody of his peers did – surviving, albeit somewhere around Jupiter.

Although his only company on board of the spaceship is the computer named Maxim (voiced by Leonid Popadko) who basically does all the work, tells some darkly humorous jokes and takes care of Andriy’s wellbeing, the space trucker's plan is to enjoy the rest of his days hanging around and treating himself to playing board games and listening to old vinyl records. The plan seems to be working until he catches the signal of another survivor, the French astronaut Catherine (voiced by the Belgian actress Alexia Depicker) who is docked on a crumbling space station near Saturn. Much against Maxim’s programmed task, Andriy sets on a mission to save her, risking his life and his spaceship in the process.

But the real story here lies in the developing relationship between the last two humans in the universe who can only communicate using transmitters and translators, given that they do not speak each other’s language. Against all odds, their initial acquaintance buds into friendship, deep connection and even romantce even though the chances are they will never meet. And every relationship, even between the last two people, comes with additional emotional baggage.

Although, when it is all set up, the story runs in circles of repetitions, Ostrikov deftly combines the notions of different genres. Some sitcom vibes along the lines of the series Red Dwarf can be sensed in the relationship between Andriy and Maxim, while Andriy’s clumsiness and the shroud of mystery around Catherine channel romcom energy. Ostrikov's playing around with stereotypes and quoting the masterworks of the genre does not stop here. We can sense some of the Hal 9000 DNA in Maxim, while the filmmaker also introduces Richard Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra in one key moment played both for laughs and emotional devastation. Alfonso Cuarron’s Gravity is also a strong reference point.

Given that U Are The Universe is practically a one-man-play, Volodymyr Kravchuk masterfully commands the screen combining his knack for humour with a strong sense for drama. The rest of the cast are deduced either to their voices that are used to further develop the character of Andriy and get a reaction from him, or, in the case of Daria Plakthii, to a brief wordless appearance played for an emotional effect. The slick production design by Vladlen Odudenko and the way it is captured by the DoP Nikita Kuzmenko are also on a high level. Combined with sure-handed acting and Ostrikov’s directing, they manage to overcome the obstacles in the dramaturgy and to tell the story with a light touch, but also a strong punch. This cosmic tale has no trouble finding its way to human hearts and minds back on Earth.

Reviewed on: 08 May 2025