This is being billed as a low low budget cross between THE MARTIAN and GRAVITY. Unfortunately, it's only a fraction as engrossing as either. Budget isn't the problem with Mark Rosenberg's movie, it's that the movie is so unimaginative and dreary that it never captures the viewer.

The central idea is that a scientist (Mark Strong) has invented a new way to create water out of soil, and that he will take this idea to start a colony on Mars. Aside from the fact that no entity* would finance such a massive undertaking based on such an unproven concept, the movie is torpedoed right from the start because even the astronaut seems fatalistic about his chances. In fact ALL FOUR astronauts we see seem to be depressed at the idea that they are in space at all - and, two of them just got there so you can't say it was because they were beaten down by long missions. I guess one could argue that it's all part of Writer-Director's 'vision', but where is the pioneering spirit and derring do of almost all astronauts, cosmonauts and other space travelers we've witnessed?? And, Luke Wilson as the head of Mission Control is just as deadening.

I will give the movie some minor points for taking the subject seriously without too much dramatic license, some of the cost conscious but pretty CGI and an ending which strikes a resonate note even if you don't believe it.

But, a movie that is so tonally off can't be saved. Approaching the Unknown? More like: "Approaching the Inevitable" (and dreading it).

* NASA is never mentioned, so it could be a private endeavor, although Houston is where mission control is.