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Adventure thriller

Ad Astra (2019): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Ending

Ad Astra (2019) movie poster

Ad Astra is a 2019 adventure thriller directed by James Gray, starring Brad Pitt as Roy McBride, Tommy Lee Jones and Donald Sutherland. It runs 2 hours 3 minutes and earned $127.5 million worldwide on a $90 million budget. It was nominated for 1 Oscar. Critics gave it 83% on Rotten Tomatoes and 80 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.5/10.

IMDb rating
6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes
83%
worldwide gross
$127.5M
award nominations
7
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Ad Astra (2019) movie poster
Released
Runtime
2h 3m (123 min)
Director
James Gray
Genres
Adventure , Sci-Fi , Drama , Mystery
Original language
English
Budget
$90M
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Ad Astra About?

The premise of Ad Astra without spoilers. The whole story and the ending explained are in the plot summary further down.

Driven by a desperate search for his father, a renowned astronaut embarks on a dangerous mission to the outer reaches of the solar system, traveling to Neptune. Thirty years prior, his father’s starship vanished while on a pioneering mission. As the astronaut pushes further into the unknown, he discovers a mysterious power surge that jeopardizes the stability of the universe and forces him to confront long-buried family secrets and his own inner turmoil.

Ad Astra Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • astronaut
  • outer space
  • father son relationship
  • missing father
  • obsession
  • mars base
  • moon base
  • solar system
  • search for signs of intelligent life in the universe
  • psychological evaluation
  • travel to the moon
  • moon buggy
+38 more
  • space hero
  • space exploration
  • presumed dead father
  • radiation burst
  • mars the planet
  • flight to mars
  • mars colony
  • antimatter
  • return to earth
  • neptune the planet
  • secret mission
  • classified mission
  • trapped in space
  • moon rover chase
  • seti
  • moon rover crash
  • buried in space
  • rocket launching
  • matter anti matter reaction
  • near future
  • free fall
  • dark side of the moon
  • spaceship
  • space travel
  • presumed dead
  • emotional stress
  • zero gravity
  • killer ape
  • lab monkey
  • planetary ring
  • son searches for missing father
  • flashback
  • space pirate
  • explosion
  • spoken inner thoughts
  • memory
  • space station
  • secret base
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Cast & crew

Ad Astra Cast & Characters

Brad Pitt leads the cast as Roy McBride, with Tommy Lee Jones as H. Clifford McBride and Donald Sutherland as Thomas Pruitt. Directed by James Gray; 24 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Ad Astra

· 20 more
Show all 24 cast members
From the director

More from James Gray

More films directed by James Gray, best-rated first: Little Odessa, The Lost City of Z, Two Lovers and The Immigrant.

Full filmography
Ratings

Ad Astra Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Ad Astra 83% on Rotten Tomatoes and 80 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.5/10. Our Echo Score gives it 71/100, strongest in art & craft (90) and weakest in story & flow (50).

71 /100

Ad Astra Echo Score Breakdown

Ad Astra delivers a visually compelling exploration of isolation that is anchored by a committed central performance. Across critical and user feedback, reviewers praised the film’s meticulous cinematography and restrained production design, while noting its deliberate pacing and occasional narrative opacity. Many observers highlighted the emotional weight of the protagonist’s journey despite uneven subplot resolution. Overall, the film’s strengths in atmosphere and performance outpace its structural limitations.

Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.

  • Art & Craft 90

    In terms of Art & Craft, the film excels in its deliberate framing and refined visual composition. Critics and viewers commended the film’s precise color design and immersive production design, emphasizing breath-taking sequences and seamless editing. A restrained palette supports the film’s contemplative tone without distraction. The result is a cohesive aesthetic that sustains engagement through striking visual clarity.

  • Character & Emotion 75

    When it comes to Character & Emotion, the central performance anchors the narrative with quiet intensity. Observers frequently praised the lead’s nuanced delivery and emotional restraint, noting the film’s ability to convey loneliness and paternal conflict. However, ancillary relationships and secondary arcs were sometimes described as underdeveloped, reducing their impact. Overall, the lead’s depth sustains the emotional core amid uneven supporting dynamics.

  • Story & Flow 50

    In terms of Story & Flow, responses ranged from appreciation of the film’s contemplative structure to frustration with plot coherence. Some viewers found the pacing measured and the thematic focus deliberate, while others cited unclear motivations and underresolved subplots that hinder narrative momentum. The film’s methodical progression supports its introspective ambitions but can undermine engagement for those seeking tighter storytelling.

  • Sensory Experience 80

    When addressing Sensory Experience, the film offers a rich auditory and visual landscape. Multiple accounts highlighted an evocative soundtrack and precise sound design that complement the expansive visuals, generating immersive momentum. The visual style is unified by consistent color timing and atmospheric lighting. As a result, the film creates a sensory environment that amplifies its thematic exploration of solitude and discovery.

  • Rewatch Factor 60

    For Rewatch Factor, opinions were mixed regarding the film’s replay appeal. Its meticulous visual details and subtle emotional beats invite further viewings, yet the deliberative pace and dense thematic content may challenge repeated engagement. While the film’s atmospheric strengths suggest lasting appeal for some, its narrative opacity and slow rhythm could limit broader rewatch enjoyment.

Plot

Ad Astra Plot Summary & Ending Explained

What happens in Ad Astra from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events and the ending explained. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Major Roy McBride, portrayed by Brad Pitt, is a dedicated astronaut stationed at the International Space Antenna, an impressive communication tower located many miles above Earth’s surface. Set approximately 100 years in the future, humanity faces a dire threat as mysterious power surges devastate the Solar System. While conducting his operations on the Tower, one of these violent surges hits, forcing Roy to make a perilous jump from the highest point, freefalling for miles before deploying his parachute to land safely.

Full summary

The whole story of Ad Astra, scene by scene, with the ending explained

Read the full summary
Box office

Ad Astra Box Office & Budget

Ad Astra grossed $127.5 million worldwide on a $90 million budget, 1.4 times what it cost. $50.2 million came from the US and Canada and $77.3 million (61%) from the rest of the world.

2019 box office

Worldwide gross

$127.5M

1.4× its budget

US & Canada
$50.2M
International
$77.3M
Budget
$90M
US & Canada 39% Rest of the world 61%
Awards

Ad Astra Awards & Nominations

Ad Astra was nominated for 1 Oscar. The 7 nominations come from 3 ceremonies, the most at the Saturn Awards 2021.

7 nominations3 ceremonies

  • Saturn Awards logo
    Saturn Awards 2021 4 nominations
    • Nominated Best Comic to Motion Picture Release
    • Nominated Best Film Costume Design
    • Nominated Best Film Special / Visual Effects
    • Nominated Best Science Fiction Film Release
    • Nominated Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie
    • Nominated Best Visual Effects
  • Academy Awards (Oscars) logo
    Oscars 2020 1 nomination
    • Nominated Sound Mixing
Videos

Ad Astra Trailers & Videos

7 videos: 4 trailers and 3 clips.

All 7 videos
Official Trailer #1
  • Trailer Official Trailer #2
  • Trailer Official Trailer #3
  • Trailer Ad Astra | IMAX Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX
  • Clip Moon Rover
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Ad Astra?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who plays the role of Major Roy McBride in 'Ad Astra'?

Cars

Cars in Ad Astra

5 cars on screen, including the Lunar Rover and the Lunar Rover.

All 5 cars
  • Lunar Rover in Ad Astra Lunar Rover Important role
  • Lunar Rover in Ad Astra Lunar Rover Important role
  • Mars Rover in Ad Astra Mars Rover Important role
  • unknown in Ad Astra unknown Minor role

Seen Ad Astra?

FAQ

Ad Astra FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Ad Astra, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Ad Astra?

Ad Astra runs 2 hours 3 minutes (123 minutes).

When was Ad Astra released?

Ad Astra was released on September 20, 2019.

Who directed Ad Astra?

Ad Astra was directed by James Gray.

More films by James Gray

Who is in the cast of Ad Astra?

Ad Astra stars Brad Pitt as Roy McBride, Tommy Lee Jones as H. Clifford McBride and Donald Sutherland as Thomas Pruitt, among 24 credited actors.

How much did Ad Astra make at the box office?

Ad Astra grossed $127.5 million worldwide ($50.2 million domestic, $77.3 million international) on a budget of $90 million.

How is Ad Astra rated?

Ad Astra has 6.5/10 on IMDb, 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, 80 on Metacritic and 61% on TMDB.

Was Ad Astra nominated for any awards?

Ad Astra received 7 nominations across 3 ceremonies.

Does Ad Astra have a post-credit scene?

No. Ad Astra has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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