Long Distance, or Distant based on your location, quietly dropped on Hulu this past weekend. Written by Spenser Cohen and directed by Josh Gordon & Will Speck, the film stars Anthony Ramos, Naomi Scott, Kristofer Hivju, and Zachary Quinto. After crash-landing on an alien planet, an asteroid miner must contend with the challenges of his new surroundings, while making his way across the harsh terrain to the only other survivor – a woman who is trapped in her escape pod.

Principal photography of the film initially took place in 2020. The film was meant to be released by Universal in 20222 before it had numerous changes to the release date. It eventually released on Vietnam of all places this time last year before it finally released on Hulu in the United States this past weekend. It’s just a bizarre rollout, especially when the Universal logo still appears at the beginning. I had to check it out myself. Compared to some of the other Universal movies that have come out since the pandemic, this one is actually good. It didn’t deserve this type of rollout.

While the film has its problems, I never once thought this didn’t deserve to be in theaters. To be fair, 2022 and 2023 were bloated years for film due to how many other movies had to keep getting pushed back. At the same time, why this wasn’t simply released on Peacock is sort of beyond me. To be an actor who worked on this during the pandemic and see this kind of rollout has to be a huge blow. That’s why I am here hoping some sort of coverage will help the film get seen more. It’s not going to blow anyone away, but it is still very entertaining.

The biggest complaint I have been saying all year so far is how the CGI does not land as well as it used to. I particularly felt that way between How to Train Your Dragon & Jurassic World Rebirth. It’s clear those films feel like more rushed based on the date of announcement versus when they were released. With this one, I am not sure if the multiple delays helped improve the visuals. I have seen some take issue with the visuals with things not moving properly, but never once did I feel like where these characters were in front of a green screen. For that, I think the film offers something immersive for its genre.

Out of all things, the film is a great acting showcase for Anthony Ramos. For about 90-minutes, Ramos is the one that has to carry the film from start to finish. He has a great, yet predictable, backstory that helps motivate his character. The problem is that I didn’t fully buy into the chemistry he had with Scott. With its short runtime, there is simply not enough time for the film to fully flesh this out. If the film would have established some sort of connection in the beginning, it would have been a lot more believable. Zachary Quinto also gives a great performance as a robot voice.

As for Naomi Scott’s character, this was a huge letdown. Nothing against the actress. Scott delivered one of the best performances last year with Smile 2. Her character is not properly introduced until the final 30 minutes, but her character is heard speaking throughout most of it as Ramos’ character is on a ticking time clock to save her. You can just tell where she is having to overcompensate with her lack of screentime to make her character stand out more.

I won’t be surprised if viewers may be turned off by how rushed the film may feel. Running at about 90-minutes, the film certainly lacks in terms of plot and scope. By the time you reach the end, it only feels like the conclusion of part one of the overall story. A longer film could have helped make the store conclude in a proper way. In a time where franchises try to spawn left and right, it makes sense why this tried to leave more open for more stories to be told down the road. I just can’t help but feel like the film doesn’t give everything proper justice, especially with the way Kristofer Hivju is written into the film. His character was honestly not needed at all.

Based on where the film ends, I also can’t help but feel like this could have given hope to so many during the pandemic. The way these characters accept their situation together feels similar to what many people experienced during the pandemic. It was tough, but it was better when we got to be with someone. I just can’t help but feel like the film having a proper release missed an opportunity to present that when we all needed that.

Overall, Long Distance is better than you may think, especially with its rollout. The visuals are pretty good, Anthony Ramos gives a great performance that showcases his talents, and there is something hopeful in the end. However, Naomi Scott still deserved more to work with and the overall story could have certainly been expand. I’ll still take this for what it is. If you have Hulu, I highly recommend you checking this one out for yourself.

VERDICT 3/5 (Good)