Astronaut's lonely struggle with talking goldfish

Set approximately five centuries from now, the animated feature 'Moonfish' presents a bleak vision of space mining. Astronauts operate as indentured laborers, tasked with mining asteroids using rudimentary tools, under threat of abandonment if quotas aren't met. The narrative follows Cassius, voiced by Morgan Spector, after his partner Vesper, voiced by Lucy Liu, perishes during a rough asteroid landing.

Isolated and facing an impossible quota alone, Cassius begins to hallucinate, hearing Vesper's voice through their goldfish companion. This anthropomorphized fish, initially a life-support system monitor, becomes Cassius's sole confidant. Together, they explore the asteroid not as a resource to be exploited, but as a living entity.

The film draws parallels to 'Solaris' with its exploration of an isolated mind confronting alien phenomena and grief. It also echoes the themes of corporate indifference found in the 'Alien' franchise. Ultimately, 'Moonfish' delves into the universal human need to either return home or forge a new one.