Space is hostile. But sometimes the greatest danger is a script with weak signal. Long Distance knows the route it's taking: hostile planet, lurking creatures, suits cracking at the worst possible moment. The problem? Between one good moment and the next, the ship seems to be on autopilot - and so does the film.
After a meteor shower obliterates the mothership, three crew members survive in escape pods and crash-land on a rocky, fog-shrouded, merciless planet - though visually competent. The arid setting works, as do the high-tech suits and creature designs: three-legged spiders with crab tails, fireflies that paint the visor red, and a worm straight out of Tremors nightmares. The production delivers - and it might be the film's strongest asset.
What could have been an intense group survival journey gets reduced to a two-person connection. Andy Ramirez, still processing generic grief (wife and child), treks across the planet to find Naomi Calloway, injured and trapped in her pod, communicating only via radio. Their dynamic is likable but lacks spark. With only two survivors on-screen, the film misses the chance to explore tenser group dynamics - the kind that make survival feel heavy.
Humor comes partly from the suit's AI, L. E. O. N. A. R. D. - a weary GPS with a distinctive tone the characters themselves comment on. It's not laugh-out-loud funny but has its charm, especially when the end credits reveal the source of that insistent sound: Ja Rule's Mesmerize. The joke lands more in repetition than dialogue, serving as comic relief that sometimes amuses, sometimes tires - but never undermines the planet's atmosphere or the sense of danger.
Even with diluted pacing, the film has standout moments. Andy getting swallowed by a worm and escaping using the suit's defibrillator is one. The climax, meanwhile, flirts with ingenuity: Naomi sprints with suit lights flashing, luring the giant spider toward a suspended pod - which plummets and crushes it. It's visually efficient, well-executed, and proof the film knows what to do when it takes risks.
In the end, Long Distance isn't a disaster - it's a good idea orbiting something better. It has strong scenes, intriguing creatures, and a planet that deserved more. But as the title suggests, it lacks closeness. And when the pod finally crashes, the impact is just enough to entertain - never to leave a mark.
