Colin Firth is excellent here, the acting veteran putting in one of the best performances of his career alongside Stanley Tucci. Both men are so good at what they do by now and you completely buy their relationship as a couple, and their chemistry is apparent and instantly believable. Supernova feels human and instantly real – exploring how profound a statement love can be and the barriers in place that tear it down around us. It gives way for a tapestry of rich emotions and feelings that become more apparent as Supernova progresses, keeping itself relatively low-key and quiet for most of its runtime with a simple plot that rarely goes beyond a whimper. But unlike most larger movies where a whimper would be a bad thing, the sombre pace really suits Supernova perfectly, it’s quiet and reflective as they come.
Every emotional beat lands in Supernova and MacQueen’s script allows the two actors to feel completely at ease. The short ninety-three minutes never feels too long, just long enough for audiences to get the feeling that we’ve known these characters as long as they have known each other.
