movie review gravity

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, black writers week.

Now streaming on:

Alfonso Cuarón's "Gravity," about astronauts coping with disaster, is a huge and technically dazzling film. Watching Sandra Bullock and George Clooney's spacefarers go about their business, you may feel—for the first time since " The Right Stuff ," perhaps—that a Hollywood blockbuster grasps the essence of a job that many can't imagine without feeling dizzy. The panoramas of astronauts tumbling against starfields and floating through space stations are both informative and lovely.

But the most surprising and impressive thing about "Gravity" isn't its scale, its suspense, or its sense of wonder; it's that, in its heart, it is not primarily a film about astronauts, or space, or even a specific catastrophe. At times it plays like a high-tech version of shipwreck or wilderness survival story that happens to take place among the stars, and that would fit nicely on a double-bill alongside " Deliverance ," " 127 Hours ," " Cast Away ," " Rescue Dawn " or the upcoming " All Is Lost ." For all its stunning exteriors, it's really concerned with emotional interiors, and it goes about exploring them with simplicity and directness, letting the actors's faces and voices carry the burden of meaning. It's a film about what happens to the psyche as well as the body in the aftermath of catastrophe.

Not content to observe the agonizing physical details of the astronauts' struggles, "Gravity" goes deep into the feelings of one character, Bullock's Dr. Ryan Stone, a first-time space traveller who boards a shuttle alongside Clooney's Matt Kowalski to repair the Hubble telescope. When debris destroys the telescope and their ride home, Ryan finds herself marooned in orbit alongside Kowalski, taking an unasked-for crash course in disaster management, learning all she can from her more experienced partner, struggling to control the anxious heartbeat that flutters on the soundtrack along with her shallow breathing and the sporadic hiss of backpack thruster jets.

"Houston, I have a bad feeling about this mission," Kowalski tells mission control (voiced, in one of Cuarón's only film-buffish in-jokes, by Ed Harris , a veteran of both "The Right Stuff" and " Apollo 13 "). We hear Kowalski speak this line for the first of many times during the majestic opening shot. We see space, and Earth—and beyond it, a tiny speck that slowly draws close, revealing the mission, the vehicles, the characters.

In the hands of lesser storytellers, this shot and other, equally striking ones might play like showboating. (The filmmaker and his regular cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki , shot numerous films with spectacular long takes, including " Children of Men .") Luckily, Cuarón, who cowrote the script with his eldest son Jonás, roots every moment in a tactile present. The fragility of the body has rarely been spotlit so harshly, throughout the entire running time of a feature. Every time the astronauts move, or don't move, you worry they're going to end up like their colleagues: bodies frozen hard as bricks, faces caved in like pumpkins.

Ryan is our stand-in. The movie makes this notion plain by shifting between points-of-view within unbroken long takes. A lot of the time we're in what you might call third person limited, watching Ryan and Kowalski move through their treacherous environment and taking note of objects drifting with them, some menacing, others oddly poignant: a chess piece, a ballpoint pen, a Marvin the Martian doll, a puff of electrical flame, a lone teardrop. But then, gradually, subtly, "Gravity" will morph into first person, drifting towards Ryan and then seeming to pass through her helmet, edging closer to her face, then finally pivoting so that we're gazing out through her visor, hearing her voice and breath echo inside her suit as she looks for a space station, for Kowalski; for someone, something, anything to grab onto.

Some have already complained that "Gravity" is too melodramatic, too simplistic, too mystical, too something; that once we figure out that it's about the psychology of Ryan, we may write it off as less imaginative than we hoped. I don't believe such shortcomings—if indeed they are shortcomings—can dent this film's awesomeness. If "Gravity" were half as good as I think it is, I'd still consider it one of the great moviegoing experiences of my life, thanks to the precision and beauty of its filmmaking.

But even if we grant that the movie doesn't have the philosophical ambition of "2001", the space adventure to which it's most often compared, fairness demands we recognize that it's trying for something else. "Gravity" is reminiscent of "2001" mainly because it feels like a feature-length expansion of the sequence in which astronaut Dave Bowman gets locked out of the Jupiter spacecraft without his helmet. Beyond that, it's its own thing, and its storytelling is as simple as its visuals are complex. A surprising number of scenes are theatrically spare: just people talking to each other, telling stories, painting mental pictures for us.

For long stretches, Cuarón trusts Bullock to give us a one-woman show, and she delivers. Her work here constitutes one of the greatest physical performances I've seen, and she's framed in ways that make each moment resonate. The way she twists and turns and swims through zero gravity is a master class in how to suggest interior states with gestures. An image of Ryan curled up womblike in zero gravity packs a primordial wallop: it's a dream image dredged from the Jungian muck. Some of the shots of Bullock's face through her helmet visor evoke Carl Dreyer's " The Passion of Joan of Arc ," the film that perfected the emotionally expressive closeup. "Gravity" evokes that silent classic and others—including Maya Deren's experimental short "Meshes of the Afternoon," whose most analyzed sequence, a series of shots boiling evolution down to four gestures, might have influenced the unabashedly metaphorical closing scene of Cuarón's movie.

If anyone asks me what "Gravity" is about, I'll tell them it's a tense adventure about a space mission gone wrong, but once they've seen and absorbed the movie, they'll know the truth. The root word of "Gravity" is "grave." That's an adjective meaning weighty or glum or substantial, but it's also a noun: the place where we'll all end up eventually. The film is about that moment when you suffered misfortune that seemed unendurable and believed all hope was lost and that you might as well curl up and die, and then you didn't. Why did you decide to keep going? It's is a mystery as great as any in physics or astronomy, and one we've all grappled with, and transcended.

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor at Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

Now playing

Lumberjack the Monster

Brian tallerico.

The Dead Don't Hurt

Last Summer

Christy lemire.

This Closeness

Film Credits

Gravity (2013)

Rated PG-13

Sandra Bullock as Dr. Ryan Stone

George Clooney as Matt Kowalski

Basher Savage as Space Station Captain (voice)

Alfonso Cuarón
Jonás Cuarón

Cinematography

Emmanuel Lubezki

Latest blog posts

Sausage Party: Foodtopia Goes Bad Long Before It's Over

Flying to the Moon: Ten Films About the Apollo Program

Big, Big, Big, Big Movies: Jon Landau (1947-2024)

On The Same Level: Paul Raci, Clarence Maclin, and Sean Johnson on Sing Sing

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Upcoming Movies and TV shows
Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

What's the Tomatometer®?
Login/signup

Movies in theaters

Opening this week
Top box office
Coming soon to theaters
Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

Fandango at Home
Prime Video
Most popular streaming movies
What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

74% MaXXXine Link to MaXXXine
91% Kill Link to Kill
85% Remembering Gene Wilder Link to Remembering Gene Wilder

New TV Tonight

92% Sunny: Season 1
-- Vikings: Valhalla: Season 3
-- Sausage Party: Foodtopia: Season 1
-- The Serpent Queen: Season 2
-- Me: Season 1
-- The Bachelorette: Season 21
-- Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer: Season 1
-- Melissa Etheridge: I'm Not Broken: Season 1
-- All American: Homecoming: Season 3

Gravity Reviews

While there is no way to truly re-create the wholly immersive theatrical experience of "Gravity" at home, the newly reissued Blu-ray comes closest — reintroducing a powerful Dolby Atmos sound mix and intriguing extra features into a more affordable orbit.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | May 15, 2024

Gravity is a thrilling technical achievement unlike any other space thriller.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Dec 26, 2023

This is virtuoso film-making on every level.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Oct 20, 2023

Their [Sandra Bullock and George Clooney] fight for survival against the odds is so brilliantly realised that you forgive the implausible plot.

Full Review | Jul 20, 2023

...the work of an efficient master dominating his artistic form.

Full Review | Sep 23, 2022

Gravity might still stand out as a technical achievement, but viewing the film after the release of films like Interstellar and The Martian, fails to stand out as super impressive or engaging overall.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Aug 28, 2022

Though the narrative doesn’t contain all of the dramatic pull implied by the title, for its technical and visceral achievements, Gravity is still something of a visual revelation.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 22, 2022

For me the initial experience was unforgettable. Completely original, strikingly bold, and brilliantly made.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Aug 21, 2022

While its screenplay doesn't entirely take off, its sound and visuals make this journey into outer space an unforgettable cinematic experience.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jul 11, 2022

A taut thrill ride.

Full Review | Nov 12, 2021

If you want utter spectacle in the most realistic way possible, Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity may have been the in-theater experience of the decade.

Full Review | Jul 28, 2021

A few twists and unpredictable scenarios pop up to keep the intrigue alive for an impressive length, but a lack of solid character development and plot cheapens the momentum.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Dec 3, 2020

Gravity doesn't so much immerse you in its cinematic experience as it simply takes you there and sets you down among the stars.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4.0 | Sep 9, 2020

[Gravity] is not just a spectacle that shows us the beauty and horrors of space but also a survival tale and a tale about grief.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 6, 2020

As a sci-fi geek, Gravity naturally ticks all the boxes that I expect from a sci-fi film and reminds me why I fell in love with the genre in the first place.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Jul 16, 2020

By turns chilling, engaging, and breathtaking, Gravity juxtaposes the serenity of extreme quiet with moments of swirling, chaotic terror as it hurtles through space.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Jul 8, 2020

At the end of the getaway, 'Gravity' is a film that will be talked about for many years to come, and not because of the realistic approach to space, but because of its technical originality. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Jun 25, 2020

It was well made.

Full Review | Apr 24, 2020

I was never bored.

Cuarón has created an absolutely singular experience that is a marvel to watch.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Nov 20, 2019

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

For Parents
For Educators
Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

Get the app
Movie Reviews
Best Movie Lists
Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best TV Lists
Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
Common Sense Selections for TV
Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

Book Reviews
Best Book Lists
Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Game Reviews
Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Podcast Reviews
Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

App Reviews
Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

YouTube Channel Reviews
YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

How to Share Screen Time Rules with Relatives, Babysitters, and Other Caregivers

Family Tech Planners
Digital Skills
All Articles
Latino Culture
Black Voices
Asian Stories
Native Narratives
LGBTQ+ Pride
Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Common sense media reviewers.

Intense, astonishing sci-fi thriller has real soul.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The power of hope is boundless; it can push throug

Dr. Ryan Stone may seem broken, but her will to li

A debris shower in outer space, precipitated by th

Occasional use of "f--k," "s--t,&qu

The NASA logo is (not surprisingly) everywhere, pl

Talk of co-workers buying each other drinks.

Positive Messages

The power of hope is boundless; it can push through darkness and propel you to survive.

Positive Role Models

Dr. Ryan Stone may seem broken, but her will to live is stronger than her darkest of days.

Violence & Scariness

A debris shower in outer space, precipitated by the missile shooting of a satellite, wreaks havoc, slicing through space stations manned by humans. An astronaut is shown with half of his face broken off (gory but not especially bloody); other dead astronauts are shown floating, grievously injured. Two others are tossed around. Main characters face constant peril and danger. One "jump" scare scene.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Occasional use of "f--k," "s--t," "damn," "hell," "ass," "goddamn," "oh my God," and "son of a bitch."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

The NASA logo is (not surprisingly) everywhere, plus mentions of Facebook and NPR.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Gravity (which stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney and was directed by Children of Men 's Alfonso Cuaron ) isn't your run-of-the-mill sci-fi thriller: It's a spare, elegant film that speaks to the mysteries of human emotion and space, as well as a stunning piece of moviemaking with depth and insight that make it an intense viewing experience (which is heightened, for the better, by the 3D presentation). Its mature themes -- including death and grief -- and scenes of gripping peril make it best for teens and adults. Younger kids may be frightened by some sequences, including one that's notably gory/gruesome. There's also some swearing (including both "f--k" and "s--t"). To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

Parents say (32)
Kids say (124)

Based on 32 parent reviews

Good movie, Nothing to say

Gravity has so much to pull you towards this movie., what's the story.

In GRAVITY, Dr. Ryan Stone ( Sandra Bullock ) is a medical engineer on her first trip to outer space. But during the final spacewalk on the day before she and the rest of the crew are set to return to Earth, the Russians shoot down one of their own satellites; the explosion causes a catastrophic debris shower that threatens to wipe out all orbiting space stations, including Stone's shuttle. With seasoned astronaut Lieut. Matt Kowalsky ( George Clooney ) by her side, Stone struggles to survive -- not just the accident that threatens her and everyone else's lives, but her own personal demons as well.

Is It Any Good?

Oh to be astonished, frightened, and entertained all at the same time -- that's the power of Alfonso Cuaron 's masterful film. A mindful and meticulous meditation on mortality, tragedy, and the human spirit, Gravity is driven by both stunning cinematography and Bullock's artful, complex performance. Add to this a soundtrack so well-calibrated that the music enhances rather than overpowers (as too many soundtracks are wont to do).

It's obvious that an enormous amount of discipline went into filming Gravity -- but, far from making the movie sterile, the precision only serves to heighten the impact of an already stunning story. There's no reason, at least on this planet, that it won't be appreciated as a monumental piece of moviemaking. This is what 3-D effects were made for -- not the bullying bombast and empty trickery that plagues other, lesser 3-D films, but to artfully enhance a movie with grand imagination, riveting narrative, and true soul.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how Gravity is similar to, and different from, other movies about space. Is it a sci-fi movie, a thriller, a drama, or a combination of all three?

How do you explain the bevy of emotions that Dr. Stone experiences throughout the movie? Do you understand why she reacts this way?

Which is more memorable/impressive -- the film's technical achievements or its character drama? Why?

Movie Details

In theaters : October 4, 2013
On DVD or streaming : February 25, 2014
Cast : Eric Michels , George Clooney , Sandra Bullock
Director : Alfonso Cuaron
Inclusion Information : Latino directors, Female actors
Studio : Warner Bros.
Genre : Science Fiction
Topics : Space and Aliens
Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance
Run time : 90 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : intense perilous sequences, some disturbing images and brief strong language
Last updated : June 26, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

2001: A Space Odyssey

Space Movies

Best alien movies, related topics.

Perseverance
Space and Aliens

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Entertainment
Movie Review

'Gravity' review: try not to scream

Director alfonso cuarón proves that the scariest world in sci-fi is our own.

By Bryan Bishop on October 1, 2013 10:09 am 329 Comments

There’s a moment in Gravity when you suddenly realize you’re not safe. Sandra Bullock’s Dr. Ryan Stone is installing a component for the Hubble space telescope, wrapped in her bulky spacesuit. Mission Commander Kowalski (George Clooney) loops around her, showboating while he makes small talk with Mission Control. The camera circles in one of director Alfonso Cuarón’s signature long takes, framing up Bullock with just the blue orb of planet Earth behind her. The 3D pulls you in, and then it hits you. One wrong move could pitch you right out of your theater seat, sending you hurtling through the IMAX screen and toward the planet far, far below.

And that’s just three minutes in.

Gravity isn’t so much a sci-fi movie as it is a survival film: two people against the elements, only as the film’s opening title card reminds us, it’s in the harshest environment possible. Kowalski and Stone are on a spacewalk when a wave of errant space debris comes their way. You’ve seen the trailer. Bad things happen. Vessels are destroyed. And the pair have to find a way to save themselves without any help from the folks back home. From that straightforward premise, Cuarón ( Children of Men ) crafts a visceral, mesmerizing adventure.

We’ve seen films set in outer space before, sure, but nothing has ever felt this real . Much has been written about the movie’s mix of live-action and computer-generated imagery — the majority of sets, ships, and even costumes were created digitally — and while Gravity contains some of the most breathtaking visual effects work in recent years the focus isn’t on sheer spectacle. It’s on familiarity. From the encumbered, awkward way the astronauts maneuver in their suits, to the cozy interior of the International Space Station, the film is filled with iconic imagery that people have grown up with thanks to NASA and the nightly news. One deviation from our collective memory and the illusion would fall apart, but Cuarón and his team render it all with photorealistic precision. This isn’t world building. It’s reality building.

The film takes us inside Dr. Stone’s point of view — sometimes literally — and we feel her panic as she whips through the void. We experience the absolute silence of space. We feel her terror as she grapples for purchase on the side of a ship. In IMAX theaters, the wraparound screen does more than fill our field of vision; it consumes it. It’s part film, part virtual reality, and every moment is bolstered by a truly stunning use of 3D.

For years audiences have been told that 3D provided the opportunity for movies that felt more alive and more immersive. That it could create living, fictional worlds, but those claims have never really held up — until now. The 3D in Gravity is nuanced; never distracting from the action on screen, but always pulling the viewer in alongside Clooney and Bullock. There are times when the 3D is quite pronounced, but it’s always in moments very clearly designed to accommodate the illusion. The experiential nature of the film helps — I’m still not sold that 3D will ever be worthwhile in a courtroom drama — but the general feeling is that of a gifted artist harnessing the capabilities of a powerful new tool. 3D is such an integral part of the spell the movie casts that its only downside may be that it won’t be duplicated effectively when people watch the movie at home.

None of it would work, however, without Sandra Bullock. George Clooney is as charming as ever, but he’s still just playing George Clooney. It’s Bullock who serves as the vital, human core of the film. It’s her panic we feel, her desperation that gnaws at our guts, and eventually, her hope that drives the film. Ultimately all of Cuarón’s efforts are there in service of Bullock’s performance, and the resonant, human story it tells. Gravity does reach beyond basic survival for some loftier thematic goals, and while some may find it clunky — the movie isn’t shy about wearing its ideas on its sleeve — it’s awkward only because the rest of the film is so flawless.

In 90 minutes Alfonso Cuarón has managed to take one of the most well-mined settings for sci-fi films and changed it forever. Gravity turns outer space from the broad canvas that we use for whatever fantastical scenarios we want to paint, and makes it a real place. One with rules, physicality, and consequences. "We wanted to surrender to the reality of the technologies that exist," the director recently told New York Magazine . "We wanted it to almost have the experience of an IMAX documentary gone wrong." He’s succeeded in almost every way possible. Gravity doesn’t just raise the bar; it creates a new category.

Twenty years from now, we’ll see new writers and directors point back to Gravity as the movie that first made them realize the potential of filmmaking. But perhaps Alfonso Cuarón’s masterwork will have an effect in the meantime, as well. It’s been a year of disappointing sci-fi, and while the fantastical worlds of Star Wars and Star Trek aren’t going anywhere, maybe everyone else will learn to put the brakes on their action-movie antics. Now that they see it’s possible, maybe they’ll learn to explore the incredible power and danger of space and science itself. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

Gravity opens in theaters October 4th. See it in 3D at all costs.

an image, when javascript is unavailable

Venice Film Review: ‘Gravity’

Alfonso Cuaron's white-knuckle space odyssey restores a sense of wonder, terror and possibility to the bigscreen that should inspire awe among critics and audiences worldwide.

By Justin Chang

Justin Chang

Film Review: ‘A Hologram for the King’ 8 years ago
Cannes: A Look at the Official Selection, by the Numbers 8 years ago
Film Review: ‘Captain America: Civil War’ 8 years ago

About halfway through Alfonso Cuaron ‘s astonishing “ Gravity ,” Sandra Bullock , playing a lost astronaut stranded 375 miles above Earth, seeks refuge in an abandoned spacecraft and curls into a floating fetal position, savoring a brief respite from her harrowing journey. Of the many sights to behold in this white- knuckle space odyssey, a work of great narrative simplicity and visual complexity, it’s this image that speaks most eloquently to Cuaron’s gifts as a filmmaker: He’s the rare virtuoso capable of steering us through vividly imagined worlds and into deep recesses of human feeling. Suspending viewers alongside Bullock for a taut, transporting 91 minutes (with George Clooney in a sly supporting turn), the director’s long-overdue follow-up to “Children of Men” is at once a nervy experiment in blockbuster minimalism and a film of robust movie-movie thrills, restoring a sense of wonder, terror and possibility to the bigscreen that should inspire awe among critics and audiences worldwide.

Popular on Variety

PHOTOS: George Clooney, Sandra Bullock Premiere ‘Gravity’

As scripted by Cuaron and his son Jonas, this tale of one woman’s expedition into the unknown is a nerve-shredding suspenser, a daring study in extreme isolation, and one of the most sophisticated and enveloping visions of space travel yet realized onscreen. It falls among that increasingly rare breed of popular entertainments capable of prompting genuine “How did they do that?” reactions from even the most jaded viewers, even as its central premise is so simple and immediately gripping that one might just as readily ask, “Why didn’t anyone do it sooner?”

The answer to both questions is that Cuaron, in another remarkable collaboration with longtime cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and visual effects supervisor Tim Webber (“Children of Men”), has pushed the relevant technologies to their limits in order to tell this story with the sort of impeccable verisimilitude and spellbinding visual clarity it requires. The long, intricate tracking shots the three devised for the earlier film were a mere warm-up act for what they unleash here, as is clear from the stunningly choreographed opening sequence — an unbroken, roughly 13-minute long take that plunges us immediately into the deafening silence of space. Specifically, we are in the atmospheric layer known as the thermosphere, the Earth’s massive form looming large in the widescreen frame as an orbiting shuttle gradually cruises into focus.

Three members of the crew have left the shuttle to help repair the Hubble telescope, though dramatically, the picture is concerned with only two of them: Matt Kowalsky (Clooney), a seasoned astronaut leading his final mission, and Dr. Ryan Stone (Bullock), a medical engineer on her first. The mood is relaxed initially, even humorous; radio music plays in the background as the astronauts exchange banter with mission control. Kowalsky, drifting lazily about in his harness, brags that he’s about to break the official record for longest spacewalk. The far less experienced Stone nervously tries to stay focused on her task, not the easiest thing to do for someone still adjusting to the woozy effects of zero gravity.

“Houston, I have a bad feeling about this mission,” Kowalsky quips early on. Yet all joking ceases when Houston (voiced by Ed Harris , in a nice nod to “Apollo 13”) suddenly reports that a cloud of debris, triggered by the self-destruction of a nearby Russian satellite, is headed their way. The camera, having gracefully bobbed and weaved around the astronauts without a single cut so far, continues to observe with unblinking concentration as the ship is pelted with shrapnel , killing the third astronaut, causing widespread damage and severing all communications with Houston. Amid the chaos, Stone comes untethered and finds herself spinning, alone and helpless, in the vast emptiness of space, an experience the audience will soon share to a deeply unnerving degree.

In one continuous shot, the film has not only introduced its central crisis — will Stone survive? — but also completely immersed us in the beauty and majesty of a dark, pitiless universe. While “Gravity” is hardly the first film to send characters into orbit, few have so powerfully and subjectively evoked the sensation of floating right there with them. As it glides nimbly around the action, the camera induces a deeply pleasurable feeling of weightlessness (the film might just as well have been titled “Dancing With the Stars”) that can suddenly turn from exhilarating to terrifying, leaving us gasping for oxygen alongside the characters.

The filmmakers’ technical command here is so precise that they’re able to shift perspectives at will; more than once the camera zooms in tighter and tighter on Stone until it seems to enter her helmet, sharing her frightening view of the great, black expanse before her. Exactly what she sees and endures over the course of her journey would be unfair to reveal. Suffice to say the script modulates the tension expertly, deftly preying on the claustrophobic and the agoraphobic alike, and maintaining an unflagging sense of peril as it carefully throws Stone one lifeline after another.

The most crucial of these lifelines turns out to be Kowalsky, who initially comes off as the film’s most obtrusive element, a glib smart-ass who’s there to help Stone and the audience find their bearings, and to provide a measure of comic relief. Yet while Clooney’s flippant leading-man charm may seem incongruous in this context at first, his tough-and-tender rapport with Bullock pulses with understated feeling, never more so than when the two astronauts are tethered together, trying to make their way to safety. Clooney gets one particularly audacious scene that perhaps only a star of his stature could have managed, pulling the viewer through various states of shock, disbelief and finally bittersweet understanding; it’s a haunting moment that firmly ties “Gravity,” for all its uncompromising realism, to the soul of classic Hollywood.

There are glimmers of artifice, too, in the script’s conception of Stone, who turns out to have a tragedy in her past, an unhealed wound that feels rather needlessly engineered to provide the viewer with a psychological entry point, as well as a deeper stake in her survival. It’s the one on-the-nose element in a screenplay that, given its rigorous intelligence in all other departments, might have done well to trust the audience to stay invested in Stone’s journey without the benefit of an emotional hook. (Providing a fascinating contrast is J.C. Chandor ‘s upcoming stranded-at-sea thriller “ All Is Lost ,” in some ways a purer, more radical storytelling experiment in which words, motivations and explanations have been almost completely expunged.)

Nonetheless, Bullock inhabits the role with grave dignity and hints at Stone’s past scars with sensitivity and tact, and she holds the screen effortlessly once “Gravity” becomes a veritable one-woman show. In a performance that imposes extraordinary physical demands, the actress remains fully present emotionally, projecting a very appealing combo of vulnerability, intelligence and determination that not only wins us over immediately, but sustains attention all the way through the cathartic closing reels.

The outstanding post-production 3D conversion enhances our sense of immersion in this foreign environment at every turn. Images of outer space give new meaning to the term “deep focus,” while the scenes set in enclosed environs provide a pleasing visual balance and contrast, with floating objects supplying a natural depth of field. As visual an experience as the film is, it would be far less effective without the exceptional sound work by production mixer Chris Munro and sound designer Glenn Freemantle, which makes especially potent use of silence in accordance with the laws of outer-space physics. Helping to vary the soundscape is Steven Price’s richly ominous score, playing like an extension of the jolts and tremors that accompany the action onscreen.

All in all, it would be impossible to overestimate the difficulty of what Cuaron and his top-of-the-line crew have pulled off, or to guess at the staggering number of decisions that were made regarding specifics of camera placement and movement; the motion-control robots that were used on the actors to plausibly simulate zero-gravity conditions; the marvelous scope and detail of Andy Nicholson’s production design; and the meticulous integration of visual effects, all-digital backgrounds, traditional lighting schemes and other live-action lensing techniques. But perhaps the boldest risk of all was the decision to combine these elements in a manner that would hold up under the prolonged scrutiny of the camera, in single-shot sequences of such breathtaking duration and coherence. Somewhere, one imagines, the spirits of Stanley Kubrick and Max Ophuls are looking down in admiration.

Reviewed at Dolby Laboratories, Burbank, Calif., Aug. 14, 2013. (In Venice Film Festival — opener, noncompeting; Toronto Film Festival — Special Presentations.) MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 91 MIN.

Production: A Warner Bros. release and presentation of an Esperanto Filmoj, Heyday Films production. Produced by Alfonso Cuaron, David Heyman. Executive producers, Heyman, Nikki Penny, Chris deFaria, Stephen Jones.
Crew: Directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Screenplay, Alfonso Cuaron, Jonas Cuaron. Camera (Technicolor, Arri Alexa digital, widescreen, 3D), Emmanuel Lubezki; editors, Alfonso Cuaron, Mark Sanger; music, Steven Price; music supervisor, George Drakoulias; production designer, Andy Nicholson; supervising art director, Mark Scruton; costume designer, Jany Temime; special effects supervisors, Neil Corbould, Manex Efrem; sound, Chris Munro; supervising sound editor/sound designer, Glenn Freemantle; re-recording mixer, Skip Lievsay; visual effects supervisor, Tim Webber; visual effects producer, Charles Howell; visual effects, Framestore, Rising Sun Pictures, Nhance; stunt coordinator, Franklin Henson; stereoscopic supervisor, Chris Parks; associate producer, Gabriel Rodriguez; assistant director, Josh Robertson; casting, Lucinda Syson, David Rubin, Richard Hicks.
With: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney. Voices: Ed Harris, Orto Ignatiussen, Phaldut Sharma, Amy Warren, Basher Savage.

More from Variety

‘the devil wears prada’ sequel in the works at disney with screenwriter aline brosh mckenna in talks to return, survey data: do consumers want gen ai in entertainment content, ai terms remain vague as iatse releases its tentative basic agreement summary, more from our brands, flavor flav has many thoughts on water polo, this 94-foot sportfishing yacht packs in all the style of a larger vessel, sporticast 360: nfl teams make $400m+ before tickets, concessions, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, the umbrella academy trailer: the end of the world approaches in ultimate final season footage, verify it's you, please log in.

Gravity Review

How hard would you fight to keep breathing.

Gravity is at once an extraordinary cinematic revelation marking a significant technological advance, a deceptively simple allegory, and a survival thriller set in the life depriving recesses of space. Cuaron demonstrates the most effective use of both CGI and 3D technology that we have seen in years. Hypnotic, mesmerizing and, frankly, just damned entertaining; this is a movie that demands the experience of the theatre, and I’d recommend the full, yes, immersion experience, of IMAX 3D as intended. For some of us, Gravity will warrant multiple viewings. Gravity opens on October 3 and 4 in most territories and continues to roll out for the remainder of the month. Roth Cornet is an Entertainment Editor for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @RothCornet and IGN at Roth-IGN.

More Reviews by Roth Cornet

Ign recommends.

Ubisoft Says It Takes 4 or 5 Minutes to Cross Some Star Wars Outlaws' Maps on a Speeder

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

Sandra Bullock, in the performance of a lifetime, spends most of this wondrous wallop of a movie lost in space, alone where no one can hear her scream. And because director Alfonso Cuarón, a master of pure cinema, puts us right up there with her in glorious 3D, you breathe like she does, feel like she does and panic like she does until, after 90 minutes of gulping, gasping suspense, you start seeing with blinders off. Like she does.

A great movie is hard to define. So let Gravity do it for you. With enthralling detail, it offers thrills, humor, dazzle, disaster, poetic vision and mythic reach. Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey set the bar for philosophical exploration of an unknowable universe by gazing outward. With deceptive simplicity, Gravity looks inward at something closer at hand but just as profound: the intricacies of the human heart.

'MaXXXine' Brings Back Old-School Porn and Horror, 1980s Style

Bob dylan's stunning 'outlaw' tour set list: a song by song guide, to elect trump, republicans are hiding their extreme anti-abortion plans, jeff goldblum sends a message to ‘jurassic world 4’ star scarlett johansson: 'don’t get eaten'.

Bullock plays Ryan Stone, a NASA engineer on her virgin voyage into space. Her mission is to help repair the Hubble telescope. This rookie looks ready to puke inside her helmet. Her guide is Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney), a charm-boy astronaut who’s seen it all and has a joke for all he’s seen. Clooney takes a small role and runs with it, his Buzz Lightyear banter working to defuse tension. “You’re the genius up here,” he sasses. “I only drive the bus.” The buoyancy of these early scenes, cutting through the eerie silence of deep space, is in marked contrast to the horror that develops when a Russian satellite destructs and sends debris hurtling toward the shuttle. That leaves Bullock and Clooney to defy gravity and death nearly 400 miles above the looming Earth.

Don’t let anyone spoil what happens next. Just know that Cuarón, the gifted cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and visual-effects wizard Tim Webber are trailblazers whose imaginations accept no limits. The script, by Cuarón and his son Jonás, occasionally drifts into dangerous emo territory, but the film’s images speak with heart-rending eloquence. Cuarón’s artistry is evident in films as diverse as Y Tu Mamá También , Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (the third and best of the Potter series) and the indisputably brilliant Children of Men . The Mexican-born Cuarón is a true visionary. In tandem with the Bullock tour de force – she blends ferocity and feeling into a triumphant, award-caliber portrait of grace under pressure – he turns Gravity into a thing of transcendent beauty and terror. It’s more than a movie. It’s some kind of miracle.

Joe Rogan to Perform Live Comedy Special 'Burn the Boats'

By Kalia Richardson

'The Umbrella Academy' Reaches the Beginning of the End in Season 4 Trailer

Beginning of the End
By Larisha Paul

Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal Enter the Arena in Bloody 'Gladiator II' Trailer

Rome If You Want To
By Jon Blistein

Jon Stewart Calls Out Biden Team's 'Blatant Bullsh-t' After Debate Debacle

'Keep It 100'
By Charisma Madarang

Jeff Goldblum Sends a Message to ‘Jurassic World 4’ Star Scarlett Johansson: 'Don’t Get Eaten'

Dr. Malcolm Speaking

Most Popular

Biden's abc interview was a necessary appointment with the public — and a botched one, clash of the hamptons cultures: "we don't want people wearing shorts", lil durk's 10-year-old son shoots his stepfather in defense of his mother, make the most of summer this prime day with these 49 outdoor finds on amazon, you might also like, michael moore calls joe biden’s disastrous debate the ‘cruelest form of elder abuse i’ve ever been forced to watch … he was in epic distress’, how dôen became the hottest brand of the summer, evolving from cottage-core to fashion, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors, ‘mothers’ instinct’ trailer: anne hathaway blames jessica chastain for her suburban grief, sporticast 360: nfl teams make $400m+ before tickets, concessions.

Verify it's you

Please log in.

Skip to main content
Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Movie Reviews

The inexorable pull of cuaron's 'gravity'.

Bob Mondello

George Clooney and Sandra Bullock play astronauts marooned in space in Gravity, a visual marvel of a movie from director Alfonso Cuaron . Warner Bros. hide caption

George Clooney and Sandra Bullock play astronauts marooned in space in Gravity, a visual marvel of a movie from director Alfonso Cuaron .

Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Genre: Drama, Sci Fi
Running Time: 90 minutes

Rated PG-13 for intense perilous sequences, some disturbing images and brief strong language.

With: Sandra Bullock , George Clooney

(Recommended)

Doctoral theses will be penned on the breath-catchingly realistic, gorgeously choreographed, entirely mesmerizing opening that director Alfonso Cuaron has conjured for Gravity — both how the scene was managed and how it works on a viewer's psyche.

I'll leave the technical stuff to grad students; for now let's just call the shot immersive in a way that cinema rarely manages to be. For more than 13 minutes, without a cut or edit — yes, I know this was digitally managed, not done in a single go — Cuaron sends his camera swooping in graceful arcs around an orbiting repair crew.

They're astronauts working on the Hubble Space Telescope high above the Earth, their shuttle idled nearby, disaster imminent though they won't know that until it's upon them.

We first see the crew and their spacecraft as a tiny dot on the edge of a majestic, screen-filling planet, their isolation and sheer cosmic puniness their most salient feature. The camera floats toward them, or perhaps they toward it, as we hear them chattering faintly in staticky NASA-speak.

Soon we're close enough to discern who's who — George Clooney's veteran space walker cracking wise as he sails above, around and past Sandra Bullock's newbie, who's struggling gamely with circuits, wiring, bolts (one floats straight out into the auditorium) and a queasy stomach.

Bullock's mission scientist is a dubiously confident space traveler even before she's sent reeling toward the abyss by debris from an orbital mishap. Warner Bros. hide caption

Bullock's mission scientist is a dubiously confident space traveler even before she's sent reeling toward the abyss by debris from an orbital mishap.

And as we take in the dazzling, star-backed blue-and-white planet, and register the physics of space-walking — how much force is required to move from one Hubble strut to another, what happens when an electronic panel floats free and out of reach — Mission Control chimes in occasionally (the voice is Apollo 13 's Ed Harris, mischievously enough) with words of encouragement.

And then with alarm. A Russian satellite has exploded, sending shards of potentially lethal space debris their way — debris that becomes visible in the background — remember there still has not been a single "edit" — just before it rips into the Hubble, and the shuttle, and all those struts and panels, sending them and the astronauts and all of us reeling.

Bullock, whose anxiety about being outside an enclosed capsule is evident even when she's moored to the equipment she's repairing, is sent spinning free, head-over-heels into inky blackness. The camera joins her in her point of view — the stars are streaks now — and we can see her breath coming so rapidly it fogs her vision. Her disorientation is our disorientation, even as Clooney tries to get her to focus and tell him her position so he can try to find her.

Now, what I don't know about how the brain processes visual information fills volumes, but I'm going to guess that 13 minutes with nary a cut or visual cue to remind you that you're in a movie theater allows you to ... well, not forget that fact, exactly, but perhaps subliminally to at least discount it. We've all become familiar enough with conventional film grammar that we barely register shifts from one point of view to another, or from medium shot to close-up, even though that's not how we experience the real world. We've learned to ignore and absorb these visual cues because they're such useful storytelling tools.

Until some ambitious doctoral candidate establishes this definitively, it'll just have to be a wild guess on my part, but I'm going to posit that the absence of those cues affects the experience of viewing Gravity . Real life is a continuous shot, after all, not unlike the one Cuaron has immersed us in for 13 minutes. And if there's nothing signaling to your brain that you're not really with the folks you've been listening to and gliding near, well — the suggestion that you are actually floating in orbit yourself has got to be at least a little more persuasive than usual.

Enough so, anyway, that you may find yourself dodging what's presumably digital debris as it flies at your head, quite as if it were the real thing. I can only acknowledge that I did just that while watching the film in 3-D IMAX, from a row close enough that the image filled my peripheral vision. And that everyone around me seemed to be doing the same thing.

It would be nice, now that I've dispatched with that astounding opening, if there were a way to similarly dodge some of the script's less felicitous notions. Cuaron and his son Jonas have felt the need not just to come up with ways to keep the characters talking — there's even a mildly sneery reference to NPR at one point — but to brush in backstory and motivation, quite as if the peril of being isolated in space with a limited supply of oxygen weren't sufficient rationale for the characters' actions.

I've no doubt the filmmakers have good reasons for this — that we're meant to see Bullock curled in a fetal position as signaling a moment of rebirth, that spiritual questions might reasonably occur to someone working through grief while surrounded by the cosmic infinity of space.

But frankly, none of that made me feel half as awestruck as did the mastery of form and the brilliance of execution that, it seems to me, is really what Gravity is about. (Recommended)

Screen Rant

'gravity' review.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Lord Of The Rings' Most Powerful Dragon Makes Smaug Look Pathetic

Fast & furious’ abandoning its original premise saved the fast saga after 2 box office bombs, star wars finally explains why the jedi never suspected palpatine was a sith lord, gravity is nothing less than a five-star 2001 space odyssey for a whole new generation of movie lovers. take the ride..

Gravity tells the harrowing account of specialist Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), a scientist-turned-fledgling astronaut working on a space station that is suddenly obliterated by an onslaught of space debris. In the midst of the calamity Ryan is thrown "off structure" and into vastness of space, with only veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) still able to hear her cries for help.

What follows next is a step-by-meticulous-step bid for survival in the harsh realm of the cosmos, as Ryan must not only best physical obstacles, but also the mental/spiritual obstacles standing between her and the will to survive.

The brainchild of acclaimed Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón ( Harry Potter 3 , Children of Men ), Gravity is nothing less than a stunning visual achievement wrapped around a solid storyline and yet another surprisingly good performance from Sandra Bullock. In short: it is one of the top cinematic experiences of the year (so far) - arguably one of the top cinematic achievements of the last few years.

George Clooney and Sandra Bullock in 'Gravity'

From the very first segment - a one-take tracking shot that clocks in at approximately 10 - 15 minutes - it is clear that, visually speaking, Curaón has created an experience unlike anything previously seen in cinema. It's likely that film school essays will be written on this film for years to come, so to keep things in simple perspective: Cuarón is already hailed as one of the few true auteurs in modern cinema, and this is definitely his masterpiece. From the breathtaking cinematography and photography, to the impossible (but astounding) camera movements - to the visual concepts and set pieces that make genius use of outer space physics - this is directorial talent and imagination on a whole other scale.

Even when the technology hits a wall (some moments in the film fall into that CGI "valley of the uncanny"), the ambition of what's being done, at the level it's being done, fills in for the deficiencies in F/X. 3D viewing is a must, IMAX if you can. Gravity is prime example of what so many film fans want: new filmmaking formats (like 3D IMAX) actually being used to further expand and push the boundaries of cinematic art and storytelling. And thanks to Cuarón, it's all masterfully handled in this film.

Usually I 'm not one to address a film's sound design in a review - but with Gravity it is a must. The filmmakers' understanding of their unique setting (space) allows them to play with the relativity between sound and visuals in a way that few other films get the opportunity to. Immense danger flies in on silent wings; the only rhythm to a scene of blockbuster-style destruction is the breath and whimpers of the lead actress, etc. This is a movie that commands the ear's attention as much as it does the eye's, and the interplay between the sound effects and composer Steven Price's ( The World's End , Attack the Block ) grandiose score - think Kubrick meets Hans Zimmer - elevates everything that Cuarón is doing visually, resulting in a complete feast of sensory experience.

Gravity is a landmark in filmmaking, sure, but on paper the story it tells is (slightly) less remarkable. The script was co-written by Cuarón and his son Jonás; it is, admittedly, a very lean and efficient piece of thrilling dramatic storytelling, with the writers also managing to inject some larger themes and deeper emotions into the proceedings. However, when one pulls back and examines it, Gravity is also a somewhat standard point-A-to-B survival thriller, which relies on many familiar - at times cliche - sub-genre tropes.

When the chase is on, things are great; when we stop for those inevitable moments of breath-catching (pun intended), the movie is still good, just not great . And because we are watching a chain of A-B-C disasters and challenges unfold into one another, moments of breath-catching in the film (a.k.a., clearly marked moments of character and thematic development) tend feel even more extraneous and melodramatic - especially when there is just one character onscreen to juggle them. Still, a film does require narrative development and the Cuaróns find a pretty strong emotional through-line to follow; however, when the action and visuals take a back seat, Gravity definitely loses some of its gravitas, and could arguably be criticized as watching Sandra Bullock float around space for an hour and a half (though such reductive thinking would be highly specious, given the revolutionary design and execution of the film).

Thankfully, the cost of those developmental moments is tapered by another good performance from Bullock. The actress proves to be a smart choice, in that she is able to find the pitch-perfect balance required to play a character who is normally highly-intelligent, resourceful, witty (and deeply damaged), but has been thrown into a situation of unimaginable panic and fear. The role requires everything from multi-layered and subtle emoting (often in close-up camera frame) to some dizzying "wire-fu" acrobatics, and Bullock delivers on all fronts in highly convincing and impressive fashion. (NOTE: Sigourney Weaver never had worry about a three-dimensional scene in nothing but her space skivvies, but Bullock manages to own that moment, too!)

As the only other actor we really see onscreen, Clooney is definitely going to be the more divisive element of the film. The character of Matt Kowalski is a smart and suave foil to Stone's inexperienced and panic-stricken character; however, what is going to distract some people is the fact that they are ostensibly watching George Clooney riffing on his own suave-guy persona, down to mid-crisis flirtations with his leading lady. Depending on how you feel about Clooney, the acting choice could irk you; then again, Kowalski does bringing the only real levity and relief from a lot of well-staged tension, and Clooney does gallows humor pretty well, so take all that for what it's worth.

(NOTE: Yes, that voice from Mission Control you hear in the film is actor Ed Harris, in case it was bugging you.)

In the end, Gravity is one of those movie events that comes around once in a great while to remind us why theatrical viewing still holds potential for a unique and unequaled cinematic experience. As a story and character vehicle for Bullock, it would still rate as a four-star movie - but given what Cuarón has done here for film as a medium, Gravity is nothing less than a five-star 2001 space odyssey for a whole new generation of movie lovers. Take the ride.

[poll id="690"]

______________

Gravity is now in theaters. Is is 90 minutes long and is Rated PG-13 for intense perilous sequences, some disturbing images and brief strong language.

Want to hear the Screen Rant Editors discuss the film? Then check out our Gravity episode of the Screen Rant Underground Podcast .

Follow me @ppnkof

Alfonso Cuarón's sci-fi thriller Gravity tells the story of Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) after they end up stranded in space after the destruction of their shuttle. Faced with near-impossible odds of survival, the pair plan to get themselves safely back to Earth despite the relentlessly harsh reality of space threatening to claim their lives at any moment.

Movie Reviews
5 star movies

Filmfare Awards
Celebrities
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
Bollywood Movies
Hollywood Movies
Finance And Technology
Filmfare Awards 2024
Filmfare South Awards 2024
Filmfare Awards Marathi 2024
Filmfare Awards Bangla 2024
Filmfare Awards Assamese 2024
Filmfare OTT Awards 2023
Filmfare Short Film Awards 2023
Filmfare Femina Bhojpuri Icons
Filmfare Glamour & Style Awards 2019
All Winners
Web Stories
Famously Filmfare
Subscribe Filmfare
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use

Movie Review: Gravity

Director: Alfonso Cuaron Cast: Sandra Bullock and George Clooney

Most of us will never get the chance to look at earth from space. But the select few who have can’t stop talking about the experience. US Astronaut Charles Walker once said, “I held my breath, but something was missing – I felt strangely unfulfilled. Here was a tremendous visual spectacle, but viewed in silence. There was no grand musical accompaniment; no triumphant, inspired sonata or symphony. Each one of us must write the music of this sphere for ourselves.” Walker’s insight on the beauty of the planet also serves as the perfect way to sum up the experience of watching Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity. There’s a reason director James Cameron said, “This is the best space film ever.” Gravity is the singular most definitive cinema experience of your life. You think you’ve seen 3D films? You think you’ve seen IMAX movies? You think you’ve seen great sci-fi? This film will reset all the benchmarks in your head. The first thing that piques your curiosity is how Cuaron’s 90-minute space adventure manages to hold your interest with just one character. That’s Sandra Bullock. George Clooney is the supporting actor and his presence on screen is best described as brief. But those are semantics of a kind of a film you’ve never seen before. This film will make you feel, in every sense of the word, what it feels like to be in space. You will feel threatened by the idea of floating away into nothingness, forever, had it not been for a single hook and rope tethering you to a space station. Because when a meteor storm of debris hits, Sandra Bullock goes spiralling into space. And that is the fear you’ve never felt before. Despite the brevity of its concept, there’s so much more to what Gravity says. Cuaron manages to sneak in scene after scene of visual allegories that hint towards one thing alone – the beauty of human life. That we are able to live and experience is the most essential truth of all. But it’s not all heavy-duty stuff. Clooney plays the mild-mannered astro-junkie. He puts the audience as well as the protagonist (Bullock) at ease with his effortless bouts of comedy. Heck, there’s even a brief scene of an Indian astronaut humming and space dancing to Mera joota hai Japani from Shree 420. The sci-fi logic of the film is fairly infallible. Bullock’s character, quirkily given a man’s name Ryan Stone, uses every last ounce of resolve to survive in space. Her fight to live on adds the dramatic impetus to the movie. The background score, the digital photography and the visual effects are all inch perfect. The climax, even with its far-fetched situations, has the right amount of artistic touch. Gravity is one of the best films ever made.

Femina's content is created, fact-checked, and reviewed by qualified writers, editors, clinicians, and other contributors.

Keeping high journalistic
Prioritizing accurancy, empathy,
and inclusivity

We're working hard to continually improve, so we want to hear from you if we could be doing better. If you have any questions or comments about the accuracy or usability of our content or feel an article is out of date, you can easily let us know by visiting theis page.

Become a Critical Movie Critic
Movie Review Archives

Movie Review: Gravity (2013)

Dan Franzen
Movie Reviews
17 responses
--> October 1, 2013

Gravity (2013) by The Critical Movie Critics

Focus equals survival.

Gravity , Alfonso Cuarón’s explosive, white-knuckle sci-fi instant classic is a wonder to behold, with devastatingly realistic effects as a backdrop to a terrifying, compelling story and terrific work by Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. It is both a concrete what-if story and a mesmerizing existential mindbender.

The U.S Space Shuttle Explorer is docked at the International Space Station (ISS). Dr. Ryan Stone (Bullock, “ The Heat “), on her first space mission, is installing an external device on the station that will enable astronomers to peer even deeper into space. Meanwhile, the mission commander Matt Kowalski (Clooney, “ The Descendants “), on his final mission, merrily spacewalks in a jet pack; other crew members perform maintenance or communicate with Earth.

Then trouble strikes. Houston reports that the Russians have blown up one of their own satellites, hurling debris throughout Earth’s orbit. Before the crew can return to the shuttle and head back to Earth, the craft and the ISS are pounded with lots and lots of pieces of metal debris traveling at extreme speeds. The damage is extensive, setting off an odyssey for Dr. Stone that is both literal and figurative, as she must find a way to keep going and return back home.

There is hardly a moment of inaction. Stone and Kowalski veer from problem to problem, everything accentuated by the simple fact that they are completely alone up there, not even able to contact NASA for a reassuring voice. It’s a terrifying situation. Most of us might have a slight panic attack if we’re stranded on the side of the road without a cell phone. Now imagine being up in the heavens with no way to get down.

Emmanuel Lubezki’s dizzying camerawork serves two purposes: It provides us with Stone’s visual perspective — that of a novice — and it provides context for the disaster she and Kowalski find themselves in. If you think that the pictures from the Hubble telescope were beautiful, wait until you see these breathtaking visuals; they’re as stirring and evocative as the acting and story itself. And while I’ve noted before that 3D in movies — especially in darkened environments like outer space — is utterly needless and can often ruin the viewing experience (the 3D process actually removes light from scenes), it somehow works in Gravity . The technology is used so expertly here by the visual effects teams that whether we are approaching an object at high velocity or it is approaching us, we feel immersed in the scene, not distracted from it.

Lifeline lost.

As for the plot itself, I simply cannot delve into it any more other than to say Stone’s journey, as I alluded to earlier, becomes more than just a path back to the safety of Earth. She is grieving in her own profound way, having become a quiet, almost listless passenger in life. Her decisions and her proactive attitude not only bring her closer to survival but also to a healing of her mind. Bullock’s portrayal of this fractured character is definitely among her finest work — perhaps her greatest acting achievement to date.

But there is more to Gravity than just fantastic storytelling supported by arresting cinematography. There are plenty of heart-stopping moments in it that will satisfy even the most jaded of viewers and for the more astute there are plenty of twists that make guessing the outcome difficult. And although it may be too early for a movie to get serious award-season consideration, I’ll come out and say it right now: Gravity is one of the very best movies of the year.

Tagged: astronaut , mission , space

For more reviews, visit Frothy Ruminations , the oldest review site you've never, ever heard of. Now in color! Remember - there's no need not to be critical. Kittens are critical of you; we should learn from them. And who doesn't love kittens? Ergo, cogit sum! QED! Whatever. I'm going to go have a kitten sandwich. Don't wait up.

Movie Review: Till Death (2021) Movie Review: Random Acts of Violence (2019) Movie Review: Skyfire (2019) Movie Review: Welcome to the Circle (2020) Movie Review: Echo Boomers (2020) Movie Review: The Nest (2020) Movie Review: Blood Quantum (2020)

'Movie Review: Gravity (2013)' have 17 comments

October 1, 2013 @ 8:42 pm Nara

Incredible. So much praise for a minimalist picture.

October 2, 2013 @ 12:03 am BLambert

I can’t figure it out, either. Aside from the visuals there really isn’t anything special about the movie. Clooney annoyingly prattles on and on, none of the physics make sense, Cuaron makes some quesitonable calls with the score and when you think about it its all about watching Bullock going from one physical point to another.

October 4, 2013 @ 3:38 pm ManicNun

Painful is the dialogue.

October 1, 2013 @ 8:50 pm deciburger

I’ll be the first in line for the first showing Thursday night.

October 1, 2013 @ 9:12 pm Aztec

I’ve tried but I can’t take Sandra Bullock seriously as an actress.

October 5, 2013 @ 2:48 pm Plucky

You are not alone.

October 1, 2013 @ 9:54 pm FreeLance

Brilliant film all around. Highly recommended.

October 1, 2013 @ 11:30 pm Thorin

Watch it on the biggest screen possible. It is a great looking movie and you want to be immersed in it.

October 2, 2013 @ 9:35 am pepsi

IMAX was made for this film.

October 16, 2013 @ 6:02 pm WanderingDon

So was 3D. I’ve never seen it used in a movie so well.

October 4, 2013 @ 11:43 am Zaginn

I’m going to see this a second time – I was mesmerized. There can be no question, it is the best movie of the year.

October 4, 2013 @ 5:36 pm Worthmoore

Didn’t live up the hype for me. It looks great but it falls short on nearly every other element.

October 4, 2013 @ 9:46 pm Lani

Great movie. Very suspenseful and very pretty.

October 4, 2013 @ 10:04 pm ColdWetDog

October 5, 2013 @ 11:52 am AliasInterval

This is not Bullock’s or Cuaron’s finest work. She overacts and screeches to the point of being annoying more than anything else and Children of Men is his apex.

October 6, 2013 @ 8:15 am Orel

Okay, Gravity may not be their finest work but it is fine work by both nonetheless.

October 5, 2013 @ 6:37 pm Prime

Good review of a very good movie.

| Log in

Notice: All forms on this website are temporarily down for maintenance. You will not be able to complete a form to request information or a resource. We apologize for any inconvenience and will reactivate the forms as soon as possible.

DVD & Streaming

Content Caution

In Theaters

October 4, 2013
Sandra Bullock as Dr. Ryan Stone; George Clooney as Matt Kowalsky

Home Release Date

February 25, 2014
Alfonso Cuarón

Distributor

Warner Bros.

Movie Review

Two hundred miles.

It doesn’t seem that far these days. Drive 200 miles between New York City and Boston, and you’ll rarely be far from a Starbucks. A 200-mile road trip through the open West will take you past cookie-cutter convenience stores offering sodas and beef jerky and unleaded gas. The time zone probably won’t change in 200 miles. The area code might not either. A couple hundred miles aren’t enough sometimes to see a change of scenery.

Unless, of course, you take that trip straight up.

Back in the day, space shuttles would orbit above Earth at between 200 and 385 miles—no Starbucks in sight. There, where you can see our globe cup like the underside of a spoon, life itself is an intrusion. The cosmos conspires to kill anyone who touches it. Out there, death is only as far away as a twisted air hose, a frayed space suit or an unhinged tether.

Matt Kowalsky, Ryan Stone and a handful of others have taken that 200-mile trip straight up. For Matt, it’s just the latest of many. He’s a career astronaut, intimately familiar with space’s cold and dark, its weightlessness and airlessness. But Ryan’s a newbie. The weightlessness upsets her stomach. The emptiness disquiets her. She’s gripped by a sense of fragility—the sense that life can end so quickly, so unexpectedly. Her own daughter died in a school yard accident not long ago but so far below her now. And if a little girl like that could be taken away so easily in the relatively kind confines of Earth, how much more tenuous is life out here, 200 miles up?

As the two work in the inky weightlessness, walking (if you can call it that) through space, Matt and Ryan get disturbing news. Russia, trying to shoot down one of its own satellites, has caused an unintentional chain reaction—damaging other satellites and sending the resulting debris hurtling toward the astronauts. They try to speed through their procedures, but it’s too late: The satellite they’re working on and the space shuttle they’re counting on are soon pelted with bits of metal and plastic, each scrap a silent missile.

It’s chaos—silent, cold, deadly. And when it’s over, it leaves tragedy in its wake.

The debris destroyed the shuttle and killed everyone else onboard. Still floating outside, the two have their spacesuits, but Ryan’s air is running dangerously low. They’ve got just one real shot: Go to the International Space Station, a bright dot in the distance. There are emergency rescue craft there. Maybe a working radio. Matt says he even knows where the Russians keep their vodka.

But no one has ever attempted such an untethered, unconfined trip through open space. A thousand things could go wrong on the way. And once they get there, they have no guarantee of safety. The debris is still shooting ’round and ’round in orbit, and it’s due back in 90 minutes.

Positive Elements

Matt and Ryan are a study in contrasts: Matt is calm, cool and unflappable, Ryan fearful, brittle and fatalistic. When they find themselves in the fight of their lives, Matt has to at first literally pull her along.

As they begin their trek across those miles of emptiness, Matt drums up a constant patter to keep Ryan encouraged and engaged. He asks her about home. He marvels at the view. Sure, Matt knows (probably better than Ryan) how slim their chances are. But he never lets his anxiety show. And he does everything in his power to give Ryan the knowledge—and will—to survive.

Even before she wound up in space, Ryan was in a dark, cold place. The death of her daughter nearly killed her too. And while she doesn’t want to die, the rookie astronaut doesn’t have a whole lot of fight left in her—at first. Matt helps change that. “It’s time to go home,” he tells her, and eventually the message clicks. She finds the drive and creativity within herself to not just survive, but to live again, to move past the disaster of her daughter’s death and celebrate the gift of existence she’s been given.

In both Matt and Ryan, ultimately, we see the human spirit at its best: the ability to embrace the beauty in an ugly situation; the life-giving salve of human interaction; the gumption to never, ever give up. And we also see the impulse to sacrifice. At one point, one of them purposefully detaches from the other in order to give the other a greater chance to continue—even though the action will certainly result in death.

Spiritual Elements

For Ryan, Gravity becomes more than a quest for survival: It’s a spiritual journey as well. During her darkest moments, her thoughts turn to her seemingly empty life and to a faith she never had.

“Nobody will mourn for me,” she tells herself. “Nobody will pray for my soul.” And then she admits, “I’ve never said a prayer in my life. Nobody ever taught me how.” But of her dead daughter she says, “I hope I see her soon,” indicating at least a passing belief in an afterlife.

[ Spoiler Warning ] When all rational hope has evaporated in that deadness that is space, Ryan receives a mysterious visitation from someone close to her. Is it a trick of the mind? A reaction to stress and oxygen deprivation? A heaven-sent vision? The movie never tells us. But her visitor gives her just the words of encouragement she needs. Ryan pulls herself together and, instead of longing to be with her daughter, she decides to honor her memory by fighting and scrapping to live herself. In her mind, she asks her spectral visitor to “Give her a big hug and a big kiss for me. … You tell her that I love her so much.”

In a Russian spacecraft, there’s a picture (done in the Russian Orthodox style) of St. Christopher carrying the Baby Jesus across a river. In a Chinese station, we see a smiling Buddha.

Sexual Content

Matt begins a story about how he spotted a woman he was involved with walking hand-in-hand with someone else. The story comes with a punch line: As he got closer, the person holding hands with his lady wasn’t “a guy,” but a little, hairy—

The tale ends there, interrupted by the debris shower.

When Ryan’s not in her spacesuit, we see her wearing a curve-hugging tank top and boy shorts. Matt makes some intentionally awkward passes at her. “You’re attracted to me, right?” he asks. “I know you never realized how devastatingly good-looking I am,” he says at another juncture.

Violent Content

Matt and Ryan are repeatedly thrown up and against various spacecraft with brutal force, and their lives are constantly in peril. The cold presents a problem, of course. Heat and fire are equally disconcerting.

As mentioned, that initial onslaught of debris kills all of Ryan and Matt’s crew mates. One of their fellows is found with his helmet and face smashed. (His head looks like a bit of pottery with a gaping hole punctured straight through.) Two others float in the vacuum of space, gray and weightless.

Crude or Profane Language

One f-word. Eight or so s-words. We also hear “a‑‑,” “b‑‑ch,” “d‑‑n” and “h‑‑‑.” God’s name is misused twice (once with “d–n”), Jesus’ once.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Vodka is (sort of) sipped.

In a way, Ryan’s already dead before she ever goes into space.

Oh, she lives. She breathes. She exists. Life is a stubborn thing, and as long as we get what we need to survive—air, food, water, warmth—we can manage. We can make it to the next sunrise.

But there’s a difference between life and living. After her daughter died, she was hollowed out, empty on the inside. A vacuum, as it were—not unlike the vacuum she and Matt find themselves in. When Matt asks her what she likes about space, she says the silence. When he asks what she’d do during her free time, Ryan says she’d drive. That’s it. “I wake up, I go to work, and I just drive.”

It’s interesting that on Earth, a place so conducive to life, Ryan struggled. But in the vast violence of space—a place without air, food, water or warmth—Ryan finds the wherewithal to live again. In the midst of crisis, she digs up the desire to go on. “No more driving,” she says. “Let’s go home.”

Gravity is a gripping, often frightening story—as simple and as complex as a well-worn fable. Distilled in this straightforward narrative (two people try to survive the most hostile environs imaginable) we see life distilled to its most essential pieces: adversity, hope, grief, courage, faith. It is a harrowing spaceship-themed roller-coaster ride of a movie, and it’s not without its content concerns. (You’ve hopefully just read about them.) But in the end, we get out of our pods feeling inspired, encouraged.

Life, Gravity tells us, is a fragile thing. It can be taken from us and from those we love without warning, without care. And one day, it will be taken from us all. But as precious as life is, we can’t bottle it up and store it safe in a cupboard. We can’t horde it like treasure. Life—like air, like warmth— is . It’s meant to float. It’s meant to swim. It’s meant to soar.

Life can be brittle, but it begs to be lived. And if we try, we can find the will and wherewithal to live in even the darkest, coldest and emptiest of places. When we’re surrounded by nothing, we find something inside us—a warm ember given by God that gives us the courage to turn toward Home.

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

Latest Reviews

Despicable Me 4

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Space Cadet

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Weekly reviews straight to your inbox.

Movie Review : ‘Gravity’

You don’t watch Gravity, you experience it. I won’t be exaggerating tiniest bit, if I say, for a majority portion of the film, I didn’t feel as if I was sitting on a seat in front of an IMAX screen among hundreds of people, instead I found myself completely transported into out-worldly world that Gravity creates. Breathtaking, visceral, visually awe-inspiring (more than anything you have seen on screen till date) and a technological marvel in every aspect, Gravity should find its place among seven wonders of cinema – if there are any. Gravity is not as much about story-telling as it is about entrancing you with its visual poetry and gripping you with possibilities of life and death in space. The film begins in a long, smooth, uncut take in a surreally placid way, but you soon realize that it was the calm before the impending storm. In one shattering calamity after the other, film rarely gives you space and time to breathe a sigh of relief, and even if does, you are grabbed by another even more precariously poised situation the next moment. It’s tense and it’s relentless, but even within all the chaos, the visuals and the images would never fail to induce gasps and a sense of wonderment.

Film also metaphorically delves into the theme of re-birth. One scene in particular clearly alludes to the process of birth when Ryan (Sandra Bullock) is shown sleeping in a fetal position. [SPOILER ALERT] Then, even the climax, when Ryan emerges from water can be related to the way a life is given birth to.

Technology in cinema is more exploitive than constructive, and we only have to look at the countless junk [not all but most] that is served in the name of action and superhero films to understand how technology has actually made detrimental effect to cinema where the shortest way to earn money is to use technology and serve guilty pleasures to audiences. While some may argue, Gravity too is a guilty pleasure, which may not be completely wrong but Gravity is so much more than just that. For starters, it provides the vicarious experience of what it’s like to be in space. As camera glides through one scene to another in a revolving fashion without any frame of reference, it actually transfers the experience upon audiences giving them a taste of what it is like to float in space. Not since, 2001: Space Odyssey has a film so convincingly depicted the challenge of living and surviving in space, and neither has any film since then conveyed the surreal beauty and aesthetics of space in the manner in which Gravity does. And, just like 2001: Space Odyssey, it will be landmark film, especially for those film-makers who want to tell stories that might have been till now in a dormant state due the technological challenge involved in achieving it. From that perspective, Gravity defies, and even dwarfs the challenge of making such films.

There was no doubt in anyone’s mind after he directed Children of Men, that Alfonso Cuarón is a visionary, but after Gravity he will also be regarded as a master technician capable of achieving even the impossible in cinema. Gravity, took him more than 4 years to make, and when you see the film, you understand how much of perfection has went behind it. He with his technicians deserve all the kudos in this world for creating such a work of art. And biggest share of credit in creating this make believe world or rather space should go to Emonuelle Lubezki who’s camera work is immaculate to say the least. His movement of camera is so extremely fluidic, at times floating like a feather, that no previous screen depiction of weightlessness [including Inception] has even come close. His cinematography is just trance-inducing.

Crashes don’t make noise in space. And therefore, you won’t hear any booms or bams during crashes, but you will hear the right sound at the right places. In one particular scene, you will notice that you only start hearing the sound when oxygen starts flowing inside the spaceship. That’s the level of perfection that went behind Gravity. So, Sound Effects team, take a bow. And I shouldn’t end this round of eulogy without the mention of Sandra Bullock who carries the whole film on her shoulders as the solo protagonist for majority of the film. She is restrain-fully good. In all probability, she should get nominated for Oscars and so will the film and direction. But in all certainty, film will sweep through all technical awards including Best cinematography, Visual Effects and Sound Effects.

Alfonso Cuarón is very clear from the outset that he’s not as interested in telling a pathbreaking story as he is in exploring the vast realm of precarious possibilities or adversities that can occur in space. Hence, there are moments in the film that might feel filmy or Hollywood-ish but that’s something which feels tiny to the enormity of purpose that Gravity is seeking to achieve. And hence, even pardonable. Though, I felt the background score by Steven Price, even though quite brilliant in its own right, a little too loud at times. But then again, these are just minor quibbles that don’t take anything away from the stupendous brilliancy of the film. Truth is, Gravity is something that you have never seen before, and possibly will not see in near future. Miss it [seeing it on big screen] at your own peril since later you are only going to ruefully regret it.

How Scientifically Accurate Is The Movie ‘Gravity’?

The opening scene, satellite debris hitting the space shuttle explorer, the hubble telescope, iss and tiangong-1 are located close to each other, space debris can cause hazardous accidents, space stations can fall out of orbit, dr. stone’s tears, earth’s atmosphere relative to earth’s size, dr. stone’s clothing, using a fire extinguisher as a hand-held jetpack, 90 minutes’ orbital time, the “you have to let me go” moment.

‘Gravity’ is generally considered to be quite accurate from a scientific standpoint, with some minor exceptions. One of the most notable inaccuracies is the depiction of how quickly and easily Dr. Stone is able to remove her spacesuit. Also, the Hubble Telescope , International Space Station, and China’s Tiangong-1 are located in different orbits and at different heights.

Gravity , a 2013 blockbuster flick, received an overwhelming response and garnered adulation for its realistic depiction of the various conditions and challenges faced by astronauts in space. The movie traces the journey of two astronauts to save themselves after their shuttle gets clobbered by space debris from a destructed satellite.

As much as we all loved watching Gravity , it’s important that we get you acquainted with various scientific aspects depicted in the movie and see how realistic this film really is. So, let’s take it from the top.

How Scientifically Accurate Is The Movie ‘Interstellar’?

Why Does Interstellar’s Idea Of Jumping Into The Black Hole Make Sense?

Physicist Stephen Hawking in Zero Gravity NASA

How Does NASA Create Zero Gravity?

Why Don’t Objects In Space Coalesce To Form A Big Chunk?

If There Is No Gravity In Space, Why Don’t Things Bump Into Each Other?

Do The Concepts Of Direction And Altitude Exist In Space?

What Exactly is Spacetime? Explained in Ridiculously Simple Words

10 Things About The Solar System Your Teachers Never Told You

Black Holes Explained: What Is a Black Hole? How They Form?

How Do Astronauts Get 'Drinking Water' In SPACE?

7 Scientifically Inaccurate Things They Show in Movies: Most Common Movie Mistakes and Myths

Jump From Space: What Happens If You Do A Space Jump?

futuristic digital illustration glowing spheres in waves the concept of gravitational waves

This Tiny Particle Could Upend Everything We Know About Gravity—And the Universe—Scientists Say

A scientific breakthrough on the tiniest scale could soon help us answer the universe’s greatest mysteries.

EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK , you can see gravity’s fingerprint. It’s in the path the moon takes around Earth each night and the humbling thump when you wipe out on an icy patch of sidewalk.

For decades, scientists have dreamed of finding a way to reconcile both gravity’s effects on the classical and quantum scale through complex ideas like string theory or loop quantum gravity. A unified theory of gravity could be the key to solving other big questions in the universe as well—like how the Big Bang began or what makes up dark matter. Yet, while both ideas have their own merit in theory, actually being able to detect the small effects of gravity on the quantum level is another matter entirely.

That’s where new research published earlier this year in Science Advances comes into play. In this work, a research group from the U.K., Netherlands, and Italy designed an experiment so sensitive that it can measure a gravitational force equal to one-quintillionth of a Newton (on the scale of 1 attoNewton) on a particle weighing only 0.43 milligrams. For reference, the gravitational force of one Newton is roughly equivalent to the force of gravity pushing down on an apple sitting on a table.

Tjerk Oosterkamp, Ph.D, is a senior author on the paper and a professor of theoretical physics at Leiden University in the Netherlands. He says that even though the gravitational force his team measured was on a very tiny particle—in fact, the tiniest particle to date to have such a force measured—he stresses that this measurement is still “a million miles away” from demonstrating quantum gravity.

“What we’re saying is that this is a step on the way towards measuring quantum gravity effects,” Oosterkamp explains.

Being able to measure these effects could be an important first step toward a clearer understanding of quantum gravity —which could unlock secrets about the very origin of the universe itself.

YOU CAN THINK ABOUT gravitational effects like a sound wave. To detect a quieter noise, an audio recorder needs to be more sensitive and it needs to filter out background noise. Similarly, the smaller an object, the “quieter” its gravitational force.

To “hear” the gravitational force on their 0.43-milligram particle, Oosterkamp and his colleagues needed to design an experiment to listen very closely while filtering out non-gravitational vibrations, like the random motion of particles buzzing and colliding that creates thermal energy. The cooler the experiment, the fewer stray vibrations to remove.

To do this, the team relied on a combination of tools to increase sensitivity, including: a dilution refrigerator (similar to the kind used to cool down quantum computers ) to minimize thermal energy, a mass-spring system to absorb environmental vibrations, and a superconducting “trap” to levitate the small particle to isolate it from any lingering vibrations. A second 2.4-kilogram source mass was placed nearby to create a gravitational force for the levitating particle; two objects with mass are required in such an experiment so that one source’s gravitational force can act upon the other, much like Earth and the moon.

According to Oosterkamp, building this contraption to operate under such extremely cold conditions—very close to absolute zero , or -273.15 degrees Celsius—is what sets this result apart. It’s also why he thought the experiment might never take place to begin with.

“It was unexpected that this actually works,” Oosterkamp says. “I showed my efforts to a retired colleague when he revisited the lab, and he saw all these masses and springs suspended from this very cold plate in our dilution refrigerator, and he asked ‘Why do you expect you can even cool this Christmas tree?’”

Because of these precautions to eliminate excess vibrations, the team was able to measure a 30-attoNewton gravitational force on the levitating test particle.

Yasunori Nomura, Ph.D., is a professor of theoretical physics at UC Berkeley whose work focuses on quantum theory and quantum gravity. Nomura says that while this experimental design could play a role in isolating gravitational forces on even smaller particles, it may still have limitations when attempting to measure quantum gravity itself.

“This measurement is a step toward directly observing gravitational forces in a truly quantum regime,” Nomura says. However, one sticking point, he says, is that the effects of quantum gravity are thought to only become significant at extremely small scales. “Reaching these scales with current measurement techniques, including levitating a small mass in superconducting traps, is impossible,” Nomura says.

Nomura says there may also be other approaches to measuring quantum gravity that avoid directly measuring small particles at all.

WHILE OOSTERKAMP’S GRAVITY DETECTOR may not be measuring quantum gravity effects anytime soon, he hopes that it could soon play a role in detecting large gravity effects instead. In particular, he hopes to use it as a tool to increase the sensitivity of experiments looking for gravitational waves —the ripple effects in spacetime left behind by large gravitational events like colliding black holes. Experiments like the U.S.-based Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and Italy-based Virgo gravitational wave observatory (VIRGO) are already detecting these ripples by measuring very small changes in the path of a laser across multiple kilometers.

“We’re hoping to build the successor to LIGO/VIRGO, which is called the Einstein Telescope ,” says Oosterkamp. This telescope is planned to be built in Europe in the mid-2030s and would be a next-generation gravitational wave detector. “They [the LIGO/VIRGO team] can teach us about even lower vibrations, and we tell them what we know about cooling things.”

Rana Adhikari, Ph.D., is a professor of physics at CalTech who has contributed to LIGO. He agrees that learning how to limit vibrations through cooling will play an important role in future gravitational wave detectors.

“The most interesting part [of this work] is how they are able to get the temperature so low and maintain such exquisitely low acceleration noises,” Adhikari says. “Future gravitational wave detectors operated [under cold conditions] will need to build on the foundation of this work. Being able to operate at such a low temperature would eliminate nearly all of the thermodynamic noise sources that we struggle with.”

And while Oosterkamp’s work may not yet pave a clear path toward measuring quantum gravity, Adhikari says that it’s likely one of many puzzle pieces that will unlock this world-changing scientific discovery.

“This [work] is a great example of how experimental ingenuity can lead to making measurements of the universe in a new way,” Adhikari says. “The road towards quantum gravity will be decorated with experiments of ever increasing sensitivity.”

Sarah is a science and technology journalist based in Boston interested in how innovation and research intersect with our daily lives. She has written for a number of national publications and covers innovation news at Inverse .

preview for Popular Mechanics All Sections

.css-cuqpxl:before{padding-right:0.3125rem;content:'//';display:inline;} Physics .css-xtujxj:before{padding-left:0.3125rem;content:'//';display:inline;}

Dark Matter Could Unlock a Limitless Energy Source

The Source of All Consciousness May Be Black Holes

human hands stretched out to the burning sun, ethereal and unreal concepts of universe, spiritual and natural powers otherwise, fires burning down the past life, natural disaster, climate change and global warming, inferno, hell and chaos ultimate conceptual shot

Immortality Is Impossible Until We Beat Physics

How a Lunar Supercollider Could Upend Physics

rainbow colored brain with lightning bolts all over it before a rainbow galaxy background with tiny stars

Is Consciousness Everywhere All at Once?

One Particle Could Shatter Our Concept of Reality

Do Black Holes Die?

the flash, ezra miller as the flash, 2023 © warner bros courtesy everett collection

Are Multiverse Films Like ‘The Flash’ Realistic?

three clocks that are warped against a starry blue background

Why Time Reflections Are a ‘Holy Grail’ in Physics

abstract twisted ribbon with striped pattern

Why Our Existence Always Contains Some Uncertainty

Copies of You Could Live Inside Quantum Computers

63 - Quantum Gravity

Podcast Episode

Add a plot in your language

User reviews

June 18, 2024 (United Kingdom)
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

Runtime 13 minutes

More to explore

IMAGES

Movie Review
GRAVITY Movie Review
GRAVITY Movie Review
Gravity (2013) In-Depth Movie Review
Film Review: Gravity (2013)
🎉 Gravity film review. Gravity: my most overrated film. 2019-02-22

VIDEO

Gravity
Gravity
Gravity Movie CGI
The Gravity (2023)
Gravity (2013)
Gravity Movie Budget 🤨🤨| #gravity #viral #shorts

COMMENTS

Gravity movie review & film summary (2013)
Alfonso Cuarón's "Gravity," about astronauts coping with disaster, is a huge and technically dazzling film. Watching Sandra Bullock and George Clooney's spacefarers go about their business, you may feel—for the first time since "The Right Stuff," perhaps—that a Hollywood blockbuster grasps the essence of a job that many can't imagine without feeling dizzy.
Gravity (2013)
Jul 20, 2023 Full Review Candice Frederick Reel Talk Online With its themes of spirituality, religion, birth, rebirth and hope, Gravity is a film that will move audiences in different ways. That's ...
Gravity
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | May 15, 2024. Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies. Gravity is a thrilling technical achievement unlike any other space thriller. Full Review | Original Score ...
Gravity Movie Review
Kids say ( 124 ): Oh to be astonished, frightened, and entertained all at the same time -- that's the power of Alfonso Cuaron 's masterful film. A mindful and meticulous meditation on mortality, tragedy, and the human spirit, Gravity is driven by both stunning cinematography and Bullock's artful, complex performance.
'Gravity' review: try not to scream
Movie Review 'Gravity' review: try not to scream. Director Alfonso Cuarón proves that the scariest world in sci-fi is our own. By Bryan Bishop on October 1, 2013 10:09 am 329Comments.
Gravity (2013)
There are no side-stories, sub-plots, unnecessary fluff or sexual tension between the characters. Just a desperate attempt to make the most of the oxygen they have left. Gravity is the best 3D film ever. Ever. Add to the mix the incredible visuals and perfect sound (both loud and quiet) and you have a faultless mix.
Gravity (2013)
Gravity: Directed by Alfonso Cuarón. With Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris, Orto Ignatiussen. Dr Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first time on a space mission, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut on his final expedition, have to survive in space after they are hit by debris while spacewalking.
'Gravity' Review: Alfonso Cuaron's White-Knuckle Space Odyssey
About halfway through Alfonso Cuaron's astonishing "Gravity," Sandra Bullock, playing a lost astronaut stranded 375 miles above Earth, seeks refuge in an abandoned spacecraft and curls into ...
Gravity Review
Verdict. Gravity is at once an extraordinary cinematic revelation marking a significant technological advance, a deceptively simple allegory, and a survival thriller set in the life depriving ...
Gravity (2013)
Gravity shows us the glory of cinema's future. It thrills on so many levels. And because Cuar‪ón is a movie visionary of the highest order, you truly can't beat the view. Gravity is harrowing and comforting, intimate and glorious, the kind of movie that makes you feel more connected to the world rather than less.
'Gravity' Stars George Clooney and Sandra Bullock
Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller. PG-13. 1h 31m. By A.O. Scott. Oct. 3, 2013. "Life in space is impossible.". That stark statement of scientific fact is one of the first things to appear on screen in ...
'Gravity' Movie Review
A great movie is hard to define. So let Gravity do it for you. With enthralling detail, it offers thrills, humor, dazzle, disaster, poetic vision and mythic reach. Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A ...
Movie Review
Movie Review - 'Gravity' - Director Alfonso Cuaron puts you in orbit with novice astronaut Sandra Bullock and veteran-on-his-last-mission George Clooney as their space shuttle gets demolished by ...
The Inexorable Pull Of Cuaron's 'Gravity'
George Clooney and Sandra Bullock play astronauts marooned in space in Gravity, a visual marvel of a movie from director Alfonso Cuaron. Gravity. Rated PG-13 for intense perilous sequences, some ...
'Gravity' Review
Gravity is nothing less than a five-star 2001 space odyssey for a whole new generation of movie lovers. Take the ride. Gravity tells the harrowing account of specialist Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), a scientist-turned-fledgling astronaut working on a space station that is suddenly obliterated by an onslaught of space debris.In the midst of the calamity Ryan is thrown "off structure" and into ...
Movie Review: Gravity
Reviews; Movie Review: Gravity; Movie Review: Gravity. Follow On. Rachit Gupta Oct 9, 2013, ... "This is the best space film ever." Gravity is the singular most definitive cinema experience of ...
Movie Review: Gravity (2013)
And although it may be too early for a movie to get serious award-season consideration, I'll come out and say it right now: Gravity is one of the very best movies of the year. Critical Movie Critic Rating: 5. Movie Review: Plus One (2013) Movie Review: Prisoners (2013) Tagged: astronaut, mission, space.
Gravity (2013 film)
Gravity is a 2013 science fiction thriller film directed by Alfonso Cuarón, who also co-wrote, co-edited, and produced the film.It stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as American astronauts who attempt to return to Earth after the destruction of their Space Shuttle in orbit.. Cuarón wrote the screenplay with his son Jonás and attempted to develop the film at Universal Pictures.
Gravity
Movie Review. Two hundred miles. It doesn't seem that far these days. Drive 200 miles between New York City and Boston, and you'll rarely be far from a Starbucks. A 200-mile road trip through the open West will take you past cookie-cutter convenience stores offering sodas and beef jerky and unleaded gas. ... Gravity is a gripping, often ...
Movie Review: 'Gravity'
Movie Review: 'Gravity'. I'm a big fan of hard sci-fi, so I'm the perfect audience for the new Alfonso Cuarón film ' Gravity'. The trades had been abuzz for months with the camera ...
Movie Review : 'Gravity'
Gravity is not as much about story-telling as it is about entrancing you with its visual poetry and gripping you with possibilities of life and death in space. The film begins in a long, smooth, uncut take in a surreally placid way, but you soon realize that it was the calm before the impending storm. In one shattering calamity after the other ...
Movie Review: Gravity. Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller
"Gravity" is a captivating journey into the abyss of outer space that combines breathtaking visuals with emotional depth. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, this 2013 science fiction thriller ...
How Scientifically Accurate Is The Movie 'Gravity'?
Written by Ashish Last Updated On: 19 Oct 2023 Published On: 26 Mar 2016. Table of Contents (click to expand) 'Gravity' is generally considered to be quite accurate from a scientific standpoint, with some minor exceptions. One of the most notable inaccuracies is the depiction of how quickly and easily Dr. Stone is able to remove her spacesuit.
Is Gravity Real? A Groundbreaking New Experiment Raises Questions
A unified theory of gravity could be the key to solving other big questions in the universe as well—like how the Big Bang began or what makes up dark matter. Yet, while both ideas have their own ...
"Seeds" 63
IMDb is the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. Find ratings and reviews for the newest movie and TV shows. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers.
Movie Review: Eddie Murphy returns to Beverly Hills, which is good
Judge Reinhold is in a truck barreling down the highway chased by angry cops when he turns to Eddie Murphy at the wheel and says something we're all feeling, "God, I missed you, Axel."

Movie Reviews

Matt Zoller Seitz

Now playing

Lumberjack the Monster

The Dead Don't Hurt

Last Summer

This Closeness

Film Credits

Gravity (2013)

Cinematography

Latest blog posts

Sausage Party: Foodtopia Goes Bad Long Before It's Over

Flying to the Moon: Ten Films About the Apollo Program

Big, Big, Big, Big Movies: Jon Landau (1947-2024)

On The Same Level: Paul Raci, Clarence Maclin, and Sean Johnson on Sing Sing

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Email not verified

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

Gravity Reviews

Or browse by category:

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

Common Sense Selections for Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

How to Share Screen Time Rules with Relatives, Babysitters, and Other Caregivers

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

A Lot or a Little?

Positive Messages

Positive Role Models

Violence & Scariness

Products & Purchases

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Parents Need to Know

Where to Watch

Community Reviews

Good movie, Nothing to say

Is It Any Good?

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Suggest an Update

2001: A Space Odyssey

Space Movies

'Gravity' review: try not to scream

Venice Film Review: ‘Gravity’

Justin Chang

Related Stories

Popular on Variety

Reviewed at Dolby Laboratories, Burbank, Calif., Aug. 14, 2013. (In Venice Film Festival — opener, noncompeting; Toronto Film Festival — Special Presentations.) MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 91 MIN.

More from Variety

Gravity Review

In This Article

More Reviews by Roth Cornet

Peter Travers

'MaXXXine' Brings Back Old-School Porn and Horror, 1980s Style

Joe Rogan to Perform Live Comedy Special 'Burn the Boats'

'The Umbrella Academy' Reaches the Beginning of the End in Season 4 Trailer

Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal Enter the Arena in Bloody 'Gladiator II' Trailer

Jon Stewart Calls Out Biden Team's 'Blatant Bullsh-t' After Debate Debacle

Jeff Goldblum Sends a Message to ‘Jurassic World 4’ Star Scarlett Johansson: 'Don’t Get Eaten'

Most Popular

Verify it's you

Movie Reviews

Screen Rant

Lord Of The Rings' Most Powerful Dragon Makes Smaug Look Pathetic

Movie Review: Gravity

Movie Review: Gravity (2013)