Kate Mara stars in The Astronaut @SXSW 2025

SXSW is shaping up to be Kate Mara‘s year she is starring in this sci-fi Thriller The Astronaut as well alongside Paul Rudd in Friendship. The actress who starred as Zoe Barnes in House of Cards plays an astronaut in director Jessica Varley’s new atmospheric installment. The film set to premiere at this year’s SXSW focuses on astronaut Sam Walker whose return to earth is more than what she bargained for.

She ends up in a high-security house for rehabilitation and medical testing. Little does she know that she may have brought something along with her on the ride back. It might be of an extraterrestrial nature but it is sure as hell going to make a few rumblings around her area.

Brooklyn-born director Jessica Varley is set to make an impact this year with this film The Astronaut at SXSW. The Phobias director who made Macy Gray a horror queen that you never expected has put a strong cast together for this film. Along with Macy is Ivana Milicevic, Gabriel Luna and Laurence Fishburne who plays General William Harris.

Fishburne’s character is the one who conducts these tests on Sam Walker which makes for a thrilling ride for the audience. You know when Laurence Fishburne is in a sci-fi film, it is set to blow up. In addition of Jessica Varley being touted as one of the best female genre directors, FERNTV is saying this this a must-see. We love it when Poltergeist goes up in space or if E.T. does not want to go home.