As brilliant and thrilling as this reviewer found Alfonso Cuaron‘s Gravity (and all the other reviews we’ve read so far are equally enthusiastic; we’re pretty confident this movie’s got the goods), we’re honestly not sure if our nerves could take seeing the film. The trailer and clips we posted had us teetering on the verge of a fucking panic attack. On the other hand, there are quotes from Justin Chang’s review here like the following:

The outstanding post-production 3D conversion enhances our sense of immersion in this foreign environment at every turn. Images of outer space give new meaning to the term “deep focus,” while the scenes set in enclosed environs provide a pleasing visual balance and contrast, with floating objects supplying a natural depth of field. As visual an experience as the film is, it would be far less effective without the exceptional sound work by production mixer Chris Munro and sound designer Glenn Freemantle, which makes especially potent use of silence in accordance with the laws of outer-space physics. Helping to vary the soundscape is Steven Price’s richly ominous score, playing like an extension of the jolts and tremors that accompany the action onscreen.

OK. Maybe if we had a glass of wine before the showing,  we could chill out enough to take in the thrilling experience, and–

…all joking ceases when Houston (voiced by Ed Harris, in a nice nod to “Apollo 13″) suddenly reports that a cloud of debris, triggered by the self-destruction of a nearby Russian satellite, is headed their way. The camera, having gracefully bobbed and weaved around the astronauts without a single cut so far, continues to observe with unblinking concentration as the ship is pelted with shrapnel, killing the third astronaut, causing widespread damage and severing all communications with Houston. Amid the chaos, Stone comes untethered and finds herself spinning, alone and helpless, in the vast emptiness of space, an experience the audience will soon share to a deeply unnerving degree.

Ooooor maybe a bottle. Damn! Read on for more about the film from Justin Chang’s Variety review.Gravity will open October 4, 2013!

Related articles

• Gravity at the Venice Film Festival (thetimes.co.uk)
• Gravity at the Venice Film Festival: Dread and Awe in Space (entertainment.time.com)
• Venice Film Festival: ‘Gravity’ Exerts Strong Pull At First Screening (deadline.com)
• Alfonso Cuaron’s ‘Gravity’ Gets Stunning Reviews in Venice (contactmusic.com)
• Defying Gravity: What Are The OTHER Films To Look Out For At Venice Film Festival? (contactmusic.com)