Gardner Elliot is a kid who was born on Mars. Not by some grand design, but because of a massive oversight and a secret that NASA—or the fictionalized version of it—decided to bury deep. If you are looking to watch the movie The Space Between Us, you are likely chasing that specific itch for a "fish out of water" story mixed with high-stakes science fiction. It is a 2017 film that stars Asa Butterfield as the first human born on the Red Planet and Britt Robertson as the street-smart girl from Colorado who helps him find his father.
Space is big. Really big. But for Gardner, it feels like a prison. He grows up in a high-tech bubble, surrounded by scientists and a robot named Centaur. His mother, an astronaut named Sarah Elliot, died during childbirth shortly after landing. Because his bones are brittle and his heart isn't built for Earth’s gravity, he’s stuck there. That is, until he decides he isn't.
Finding where to watch the movie The Space Between Us is actually the easy part. It’s available on most major PVOD (Premium Video on Demand) platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play. Depending on your region, it occasionally pops up on streaming giants like Netflix or Peacock, though rights for mid-budget sci-fi tend to hop around like crazy. It’s worth checking your local listings because the cinematography alone, capturing the stark contrast between the red dust of Mars and the lush, blue-green vibrancy of Earth, is gorgeous on a high-definition screen.
The Science of the Heart
What most people get wrong about this movie is assuming it’s just a Fault in Our Stars clone set in space. It’s actually a meditation on human biology and isolation. Peter Chelsom, the director, leans into the physical danger of being a Martian on Earth. When Gardner finally makes it to our planet, his body starts failing almost immediately. His heart is literally too large for Earth’s atmospheric pressure.
It’s a metaphor that hits a bit too close to home for anyone who has ever felt like they don't belong. You’ve got this kid who has seen the world through a computer screen, chatting with Tulsa (Robertson) via a delayed video link, and suddenly he’s experiencing rain for the first time. The scene where he touches water is genuinely moving. It reminds you that we take things like gravity and weather for granted every single day.
Britt Robertson brings a necessary grit to the film. Without her, Gardner would just be wandering around looking at trees. She provides the vehicle—literally, she drives him around—and the emotional grounding. Their chemistry works because they are both outcasts. She’s a foster kid who feels abandoned by the world, and he’s a kid who was literally abandoned by his species.
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Why the Critics Were Hard on It
Honestly, the critics weren't kind when it released in February 2017. It sits at a fairly low percentage on Rotten Tomatoes. Why? Mostly because it tries to be three movies at once. It’s a road trip movie. It’s a sci-fi thriller with Gary Oldman chewing the scenery as a guilt-ridden visionary. And it’s a YA romance.
Sometimes these gears grind. One moment you are watching a tense medical drama about enlarged hearts, and the next you are watching two teens steal a crop duster. It’s a lot. But if you can get past the "movie logic" of it all, there is a core of sincerity that is missing from a lot of modern, cynical sci-fi.
Gary Oldman plays Nathaniel Shepherd. He’s the guy who sent the mission to Mars. He’s erratic, brilliant, and terrified of what Gardner represents. Oldman is an Oscar winner for a reason, and even in a role that could have been a cardboard cutout, he brings a frantic energy that keeps the stakes high. You believe his panic.
Watching Experience and Visuals
If you decide to watch the movie The Space Between Us, pay attention to the color grading. Mars is filtered in these harsh, orange-gold hues that feel sterile and lonely. When the story shifts to Earth, the saturation explodes. The filmmakers shot in New Mexico to simulate both Mars and the American Southwest, and the landscape is a character in itself.
The soundtrack is another highlight. It features tracks that emphasize discovery and longing. Music by Andrew Lockington supports the emotional beats without being too overbearing, though it definitely knows when to pull on the heartstrings.
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Is it scientifically accurate? No. Not really.
- The communication delay between Earth and Mars would be between 3 and 22 minutes. In the movie, they chat like they’re on FaceTime.
- The atmospheric reentry scenes are a bit hand-wavy.
- The medical implications of a "Mars heart" are dramatized for effect.
Does it matter? Not if you’re looking for a story about what it means to be human.
The Real Meaning of "What’s Your Favorite Thing About Earth?"
Throughout the film, Gardner asks everyone he meets the same question: "What is your favorite thing about Earth?" People usually give him weird looks or joke about it. But for Gardner, the answer is everything. He loves the wind. He loves the dogs. He loves the fact that people can just walk outside without a suit.
This is the ultimate takeaway. When you watch the movie The Space Between Us, you are forced to view your own environment through the eyes of an outsider. It makes you realize that the things we complain about—the rain, the humidity, the heat—are the very things that make our planet habitable.
Production Hurdles and Trivia
The film faced several delays. Originally, it was supposed to come out in 2016, but it got pushed back to avoid competition with heavy hitters like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. That’s the reality of the mid-tier film market; you have to find the cracks in the schedule where you won’t get crushed by superheroes or space wizards.
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Interestingly, Asa Butterfield had to work with a movement coach to figure out how someone who grew up in 38% of Earth's gravity would walk. He had to convey a sense of weightiness, a struggle against a force he’d never felt before. It’s subtle, but it adds a layer of physical storytelling that elevates his performance.
Practical Steps for Your Movie Night
If you are planning to sit down and watch the movie The Space Between Us, here is how to make the most of it.
First, check the "JustWatch" or "Reelgood" apps to see which streaming service currently has it for free in your region. It shifts between Starz, Hulu, and Netflix quite often. If it's not on a subscription service, a $3.99 rental is usually the standard.
Second, watch it on the biggest screen possible. The cinematography of the Albuquerque scenery and the simulated Mars landscapes is the film's strongest suit. A phone screen won't do the scale of the "Red Planet" justice.
Third, keep an eye out for the small details in the background of the Mars base, East Texas. The production design team put a lot of work into making the habitat look lived-in and functional. It’s a vision of the future that feels reachable, not like a distant fantasy.
Finally, don't go in expecting a hard-science documentary like The Martian. This is a movie about feelings, connection, and the biological tether we have to our home planet. It’s a film for the dreamers and the people who still look at the stars and wonder if someone is looking back.
Once the credits roll, you might find yourself answering Gardner’s question for yourself. What is your favorite thing about Earth? It’s a better question than we give it credit for. If you enjoy this, you might also want to look into Ad Astra or Proxima, which deal with the psychological toll of space travel, albeit with a much more somber tone. But for a weekend watch that leaves you feeling a bit more grateful for the ground beneath your feet, this is a solid choice.