Supernova (2020)

Director: Harry Macqueen
Stars: Colin Firth, Stanley Tucci, Pippa Haywood
Runtime: 95 minutes

Synopsis: Sam and Tusker are traveling across England in their old RV to visit friends, family and places from their past. Since Tusker was diagnosed with dementia two years ago, their time together is the most important thing they have.

Verdict: I can't think of many situations that are more tragic than being conscious of the burden your illness causes on your loved ones. Harry Macqueen's "Supernova" deals with that very topic as it is centered on a couple's attempt to renew their love after being told that one of them suffers from irreparable dementia. Sounds like a recipe for tears, right? So why did it struggle so much to get its emotions across?

I greatly admire the acting chops of both Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci, but a clear lack of chemistry between the couple made the watch a much less impactful one than it should've been. It's certainly not their best work, but I also can't entirely fault them as the script barely gave them anything to work with. The conflict is introduced way too late into the narrative, and, by then, I had already checked out of what had so far been a very mediocre road trip romance with no significant weight to it. My hopes were reignited when a pivotal test to their relationship was finally established, but I was quickly slapped back to reality as I watched the film clumsily walk circles around a depressing thought that I'm certain has crossed many of our minds at some point in our lives without doing anything interesting with it.

Much like space itself, the aptly titled “Supernova” does contain some heavy components but is ultimately just a whole lot of nothing. It, unfortunately, doesn’t reach its full potential unlike “Paddleton”, which is another similarly-themed film that came out a few years ago and that I’d recommend you check out instead.

FINAL GRADE: 5/10