Review: Space Sweepers (2021)

Space Sweepers (2021) is served up as an action-packed space adventure, and it does not disappoint on that end. With intricate set designs and a futuristic landscape shot through a gritty lens akin to stories like Cowboy Bebop, Space Sweepers is just as fun a romp as we could hope for, and twice as heartwarming.

The story takes place in the year 2092, long after Earth has disintegrated into a harsh desert, barely able to sustain life. Naturally, this has led to an influx of people making a living off-planet. Some scrape by, harvesting rogue ship parts that fly by at light speed to sell their contents, and few are lucky (i.e. rich) enough to be among the elite first inhabitants of Mars, made possible by megacorporation UTS.

That overarching plot gives us our "capitalism bad" CEO antagonist, Sullivan (Richard Armitage), a clear representation of select unnamed white men who, in real life, are more interested in exploring their options in space rather than preserving the planet we have. But Space Sweepers shines with its story about the people who can't afford this fantastical new Eden in orbit; they're a ragtag team of champions who can't even afford a pair of shoes. Amidst widespread news of a search for an android named Dorothy (Park Yerin), who's disguised as an ordinary little girl, it's not until our heroes happen upon her that they learn she’s also been categorized as a weapon of mass destruction of great importance to the terrorist group Black Fox—and they're paying $2,000,000 for her.

Of course they have use for this money, most of all Taeho (Song Joongki), who needs to pay for the search for his daughter's body, and their robot repairman Bubs (Yoo Haejin), who's saving up for a complete skin graft. They don't hesitate to respond to the highest bid for Dorothy, but they each find themselves growing attached to her on the journey there—even their tough Captain Jang (Kim Taeri) and former gang leader Tiger Park (Jin Seonkyu).

While the story is predictable overall and there's not much for subtext, there's a delightful tiny plot point where Bubs's skin graft leads to discussion of their desire to appear not only human, but as a human woman. Depictions of trans experiences are few and far between in major cinema, and it's even less common that it's portrayed in such a normal way—neither tragic, nor heroic. It's presented very simply as a part of the character, never questioned nor explained, because it doesn't need to be. 

Space Sweepers makes up for whatever lulls it may have with fast-paced action sequences, genuinely enjoyable character interaction, and no shortage of classic and modern sci-fi visuals. While it's a fun watch in entirety, the most compelling element that nods toward a realistic future setting is actually a very casual multiculturalism. From beginning to end, every character wears an earpiece that automatically translates between languages, allowing for everyone to speak on the same plane regardless of their origins. The exception to this is the strictly English-speaking Sullivan and anyone who works with him—he's unburdened by need, or desire, to understand others.

There's something for everyone in Space Sweepers. Somewhere among the grandiose depictions of spacecrafts bobbing and weaving, and Captain Jang softening at Dorothy's drawing of her, there's something that will make it worth your while—as is the way of good, clean entertainment.