PHOTO © BLEECKER STREET

I’m very thankful for enjoyable bad movies.

Make no mistake; “I.S.S.” is by no definition a good movie. The tension never arrives, the stakes are vague at best and many of the directorial decisions are distracting. Its premise, however, is dynamite — and such a naturally combustive narrative that I don’t care much about the film’s numerous faults.

A crew of six — three Russians and three Americans — are aboard the International Space Station when war erupts on the planet below. Their nations are bombing the hell out of one another, leading to a desperate message delivered to both halves of the crew: Take control of the space station “by any means necessary.”

Suddenly, the previously cooperative crew members are exchanging nervous glances. Then they’re exchanging punches.

It’s a desperate, us-versus-them survival movie in zero gravity, a premise that easily fuels an hour of action. Two of the crew members — Weronika (Masha Mashkova) and Gordon (Chris Messina) — are engaged in a clandestine cross-border romance, further complicating matters for new arrival Kira (Ariana DeBose), who has to determine both who to trust and what objectives to prioritize as the bombs fall under the atmosphere.

DeBose is charming and relatable, making her a great protagonist for director Gabriela Cowperthwaite (“Our Friend,” the documentary “Blackfish”) to hang the movie on. It’s a new mode for Cowperthwaite, who doesn’t seem to wrap her arms around generating suspense; while the story motivates the action, the blow-by-blow can get a bit dull.

Viewers will likely find the ending unsatisfactory, and while I appreciate the closed-room nature of the film, I do wish we knew a little bit more of what was happening below. (I would’ve traded some go-nowhere character development for a few shots of mission control.) I am, however, a supporter of “I.S.S.,” even if I won’t be including it on any best-of lists.

I’m just glad I can still go to the movie theater for a high-concept, mediocre movie. I thought this entire species only survived on streaming.

My Rating: 5/10

“I.S.S.” is now playing in theaters.