Ad Astra

At the end of Ad Astra, Roy McBride’s journey culminates in a deeply personal revelation about his father, Clifford, and ultimately about himself. When Roy finds Clifford aboard the Lima spacecraft, he discovers that their mission to find alien life was, in truth, a misguided and obsessive search—one rooted in faith rather than scientific fact. In reality, the Lima was sent out to monitor for extraterrestrial life, but the crew, including Clifford, was driven mad by the endless emptiness of space and the failure to find any signs of intelligent life. Clifford’s relentless belief in the mission’s purpose and his denial of its futility led him to become detached, even dangerous, killing mutineers and ignoring the actual absence of aliens.

As Roy confronts Clifford, he begins to see how the father’s obsession and deep loneliness mirror his own internal struggles. The film suggests that both men were driven by similar feelings of disconnect and a search for meaning—Clifford’s driven to madness in space, and Roy, in turn, seeking to reconnect with his father and find his place in the universe. When Clifford realizes that the Lima’s mission was ultimately futile, he lets go of his obsession, symbolically releasing himself from the destructive path he was on. This moment is also a symbolic severing of the emotional dependency Clifford had on his son—an unspoken acknowledgment that Roy no longer needs to define himself by his father’s failures or ideals.

In the climax, Roy uses a piece of his father’s ship to escape through Neptune’s rings and, with a clear but physically implausible choice, ignites the explosion of the ship to propel himself back to Earth. This act signifies a final act of liberation, both physically and emotionally. Returning home, Roy is no longer the distant soldier or the son guided purely by duty, but a person who has faced his inner fears and losses. He reconnects with his estranged ex-wife and begins a new chapter of understanding and acceptance of his place in life and the universe. Ultimately, the film’s ending reveals that Roy’s true journey was inward—an exploration of loneliness, fatherly love, and the need to find oneself amidst the vast emptiness of space and human emotion. It’s a quiet, introspective conclusion that emphasizes the importance of human connection over cosmic exploration, underscoring that sometimes, the greatest discoveries are about understanding and accepting ourselves.

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:59