Emotional and Social Loneliness in Spaceman (2024): A Psychological Analysis Based on Robert S Weiss Theory

Abstract

This study examines the portrayal of loneliness experienced by Jakub, the main character in the science fiction drama film Spaceman (2024), directed by Johan Renck. Applying Robert S. Weiss’ loneliness theory through a descriptive qualitative method, the research analyzes how Jakub’s loneliness is constructed across two dimensions: emotional loneliness, arising from the absence of a deep interpersonal bond with his wife Lenka, and social loneliness, arising from his physical isolation on a solo mission 500 million kilometers from Earth. The primary data consist of scenes, dialogues, monologues, memories, and cinematic elements from the film. The findings reveal five key portrayals of Jakub’s loneliness: (1) the silence of unanswered communication as emotional loneliness; (2) Lenka’s farewell message and the collapse of the intimate bond; (3) memory, guilt, and the self-inflicted dimension of emotional loneliness; (4) public denial as a masking of emotional loneliness; and (5) physical isolation and the absence of social integration as social loneliness. This study contributes to literary and cinematic studies by demonstrating that contemporary science fiction film can serve as a meaningful medium for the representation of complex human psychological experience.