The Astronaut's Wife
After a frightening space-repair accident, an astronaut's wife suspects that the man who returns home is no longer entirely human.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- brooding
- paranoid
- foreboding
- late night horror viewing
- 1990s sci fi marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film stylish and competently acted but too slow, derivative, and insufficiently suspenseful.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jillian increasingly doubts the identity and intentions of her astronaut husband after his return from orbit.
The alien encounter becomes entangled with Jillian's pregnancy and fears about bodily and familial transformation.
The astronauts' unexplained two-minute loss of contact and subsequent behavioral changes gradually expose a threatening hidden reality.
The film places its alien mystery across NASA facilities, suburban interiors, and polished domestic settings rather than an overtly fantastical world.
Films like The Astronaut's Wife, and why
Rosemary's Baby
shared psychological horror, domestic paranoia, pregnancy anxiety, and supernatural intrusion
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
shared extraterrestrial identity horror, marital distrust, and slow-building sci-fi suspense
The Hidden
shared intimate paranoia thriller atmosphere, alien influence, and uncertainty about a loved one's identity
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
shared psychological thriller structure, domestic unease, and ominous pregnancy themes
Movie Details
- Director
- Rand Ravich
- Release Date
- 1999-08-27
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 5.6 / 10 (1022)
Cast
- Johnny Depp
- Charlize Theron
- Joe Morton
- Clea DuVall
- Nick Cassavetes
- Donna Murphy
- Gary Grubbs
- Blair Brown
- Tom Noonan
- Tom O'Brien
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Astronaut's Wife about?
- After a frightening space-repair accident, an astronaut's wife suspects that the man who returns home is no longer entirely human.
- What is The Astronaut's Wife like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Astronaut's Wife as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Astronaut's Wife violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Astronaut's Wife as mild.
- What did critics think of The Astronaut's Wife?
- Critics broadly found the film stylish and competently acted but too slow, derivative, and insufficiently suspenseful.
- Which films are like The Astronaut's Wife?
- Films with a similar feel include Rosemary's Baby, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Hidden, and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.
- How long is The Astronaut's Wife?
- The Astronaut's Wife runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Astronaut's Wife?
- In United States, The Astronaut's Wife is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
