If You Were the Last

If You Were the Last
Release poster
Directed by	Kristian Mercado
Written by	Angela Bourassa
Produced by	Andrew Miano Dan Balgoyen Britta Rowings Dennis Masel Gabrielle Nadig Jessamine Burgum Kara Durrett Jon Levin Sean Woods
Starring	Anthony Mackie Zoë Chao
Cinematography	Alex Disenhof
Edited by	Henry Hayes
Music by	Christopher Bear
Production companies	Depth of Field Pinky Promise Storm City Films
Distributed by	Peacock
Release dates	March 14, 2023 (2023-03-14) (SXSW) October 20, 2023 (2023-10-20) (United States)
Running time	93 mins
Country	United States
Language	English

If You Were the Last is a 2023 American science fiction romantic comedy directed by Kristian Mercado and written by Angela Bourassa. The film stars Anthony Mackie and Zoë Chao.

The film centers around two astronauts who, while stranded on a multi-year exploration mission, fall in love with each other.

It premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival, and was released to the Peacock streaming service on October 20, 2023.

Plot

In a living room playing chess, Adam and Jane are debating if NASA would spend a trillion to save one astronaut stranded on Mars. Although talking about The Martian, Adam then asks if she thinks NASA really would not 'waste' money on a rescue. We then see Saturn directly outside their window. Jane concedes that Benson might share Adam's optimism, but he points out that she went crazy, and we see the remains of another astronaut nearby.

The astronauts' routine as they enter their third year in space consists of joint exercise, then daily tasks. Jane has spacecraft maintenance, including attempts at reestablishing comms and navigation. Botanist Adam looks after their plants and animals, including chickens and a goat. Playing chess, watching films and listening to music are how they make their days bearable.

After a regular cardio dance routine, Jane calls Adam out for masturbating in the greenhouse, calling it unsanitary. He counters with a proposal that they have sex. Jane laughs, and Adam insists it would be a stress reliever devoid of romantic feelings. She lists two of three reasons why not to have sex...1 no attraction and 2 both married.

Adam and Jane watch Alien against his wishes, as they have not watched it yet. Spooked, he later asks to bunk with her. Half asleep, Jane forgets she is unclothed so wakes naked, pressed up against Adam. A short while later she suggests cuddling could be positive for their mental health. Jane then points out the third reason not to have sex... 3 space babies. As all three astronauts left spouses stateside, NASA had not included condoms. When Adam suggests she might be sterile from radiation exposure she leaves, disgusted.

Jane and Adam rant about each other to the inanimate Benson. She confesses she adapted four power drills into dildos, admits she has considered having sex with him and is sure he finds her attractive. Adam argues that Jane's reasons against it are ridiculous as he believes they will not be rescued.

Both watch their spouses' video messages, Adam hoping that his politician aspiring wife Savannah has not waited for him and Jane knowing her sedentary Tom would have loved to be in their situation. Adam prevents her meltdown when her music files become inaccessible. They do more and more tasks together. Jane surprises Adam with homemade pop tarts once his supply is gone. When the goat dies, although they lose fresh milk, they gain 50 meals of meat.

The day after agreeing to do everything but sexually, they regain navigational control. Calculating their return trip will take three weeks, they abandon their resolve and spend much of their time having sex. Talking about what they most miss, for Jane it is exploring and music and for Adam his wife's hugs. When he wishes she remain his best friend, she does not agree.

At a press conference on Earth, the disoriented astronauts are asked about Benson, Jane says she died in her sleep, although a flashback shows her going crazy and Jane using an axe to stop her from killing Adam. Suddenly Savannah appears, kisses him and leads him out. Both astronauts must undergo a barrage of tests. Tom shows, confessing he had some dates, but nothing serious. Savannah threw herself into politics, first as mayor and now governor.

In their debriefings, Adam talks about his experiments crossing blueberries with marijuana. Jane tells them about Benson turning violent and demonstrates the adapted drills. As their respective spouses are completing their discharge papers, Jane and Adam say their goodbyes. He asks to stay in contact, but she refuses.

Back in Savannah's world, Adam feels invisible. He has kept the shuttle chickens, which stay in their house and bother her. As Jane and Tom chat in bed, she tells him dancing with Adam was her favorite part of being in space. Initially when Jane suggests a trip Tom resists, but backs down upon remembering she had been closed in for years.

On a run, when Jane hears a certain song, her feelings for Adam come flooding back. So at home, when she discovers Tom had been regularly seeing Amber, she insists he contact her, then blurts out her and Adam's sexual relationship. At a dinner at the White House nine days after their return, Jane tells Adam and Savannah she split with Tom. The president insists the astronauts show their dancing skills. Savannah sees their chemistry, subsequently Adam and she split.

Adam goes to Jane, declaring they are meant for each other.

Cast

• Anthony Mackie as Adam Gherrity
• Zoë Chao as Jane Kuang
• Natalie Morales as Savannah Gherrity
• Geoff Stults as Tom Wright
• Missi Pyle as Megan Benson

External links

• If You Were the Last at IMDb