The sci-fi genre has seen it all — a man turn himself into a fly, a private detective hunting down robots, inter-dimensional travel and so much more. “Ad Astra” strives to include the tropes found in traditional science fiction, while also exploring the intricacies of human connection.

Director Ariel Vromen’s “Criminal” begins in what English teachers call “in medias res” and what moviegoers might call confusing. Kevin Costner sports an aggressive buzz cut on a beach while...