I.S.S.: how to watch, reviews, trailer, cast and everything we know about the Ariana DeBose sci-fi movie

By Michael Balderston
last updated

Ariana DeBose stars in this space thriller set aboard the International Space Station.

Ariana DeBose in I.S.S.
Ariana DeBose in I.S.S. (Image credit: Bleecker Street)

The International Space Station is a place where astronauts from all over Earth get to work together, but what happens to those relationships when things back on Earth turn bad? That is the premise behind I.S.S., a space thriller part of the 2024 new movies lineup.

Oscar-winning Ariana DeBose headlines the movie, an original sci-fi story for fans of the genre to enjoy. 

Here is everything that we know about I.S.S.

How to watch I.S.S.

I.S.S. is available to watch via digital on-demand platforms in the US.

I.S.S. reviews

The reviews of I.S.S. are in, including What to Watch's take on the sci-fi thriller. Read the WTW's I.S.S. review to see if we think the movie reaches the stars or crashses down to earth.

As for critical consensus, the movie's Rotten Tomatoes score sits at 62% "Fresh," with most praising it as the kind of fun B-movie that we don't get as much of these days.

I.S.S. cast

As mentioned, Ariana DeBose is the lead of I.S.S. DeBose won an Oscar for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story and has since starred in episodes of Westworld and Schmigadoon and the latest Disney animated musical, Wish. She has a busy 2024 coming up because in addition to I.S.S., she also stars in Argylle, My Ex-Friend's Wedding and Kraven the Hunter.

Playing the other astronauts aboard the space station are John Gallagher Jr. (The Newsroom) and Chris Messina (Air) on the US side, while the Russian astronauts are played by Maria Mashkova (For All Mankind season 4), Pilou Asbæk (Game of Thrones) and Costa Ronin (Homeland).

I.S.S. plot

I.S.S. was written by Nick Shafir, marking his first produced screenplay. Here is the official synopsis:

"Tensions flare in the near future aboard the International Space Station (I.S.S.) as a worldwide conflict breaks out on Earth. Reeling, the US and Russian astronauts aboard each receive orders from the ground: take control of the station by any means necessary."

I.S.S. trailer

You can watch the trailer for I.S.S. right here, giving you a sense of the tension even in zero gravity: 

Gabriela Cowperthwaite movies

Directing I.S.S. is Gabriela Cowperthwaite. After getting her start in the documentary genre, she has been working more in narrative features in recent years. Here is a full list of her directing credits: 

  • City Lax: An Urban Lacrosse Story (2010)
  • Blackfish (2013)
  • Megan Leavey (2017)
  • Our Friend (2019)
  • The Grab (2022)

I.S.S. poster

(Image credit: Bleecker Street)
Michael Balderston
Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.