Zathura: A Space Adventure

Right now you can watch Zathura: A Space Adventure in Australia on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel, and in the US on Netflix — and it goes further with its ideas than most genre entertainment bothers to. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. 3,630 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Josh Hutcherson leads a cast that never lets the concept overwhelm the characters. Start it on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Zathura: A Space Adventure earns its spot. The world-building is meticulous, but it is the characters who carry Zathura: A Space Adventure through its more ambitious moments. After their father is called into work, two young boys, Walter and Danny, are left in the care of their teenage sister, Lisa, and told they must stay inside. Walter and Danny, who anticipate a boring day, are shocked when they begin playing Zathura, a space-themed board game, which they realize has mystical powers when their house is shot into space. With the help of an astronaut, the boys attempt to return home. The human element stays intact thanks to Josh Hutcherson and Jonah Bobo, who anchor every scene. It hit screens in 2005. What separates Zathura: A Space Adventure from lesser genre entertainment is a willingness to let the concept cost the characters something. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Zathura: A Space Adventure is satisfying on multiple levels — something to watch and something to think about after. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Josh Hutcherson anchors it with a performance that makes the more abstract moments feel personal. If you have been burned by ambitious sci-fi before, this is the exception.