A series of dilemmas and decisions divide a crew on its way to Mars when they discover a passenger who shouldn’t have been there.
Very well-written and shot in the first act, paying extra attention to the orbital mechanics’ math but also the heroes’ reactions during the launch. The discovery of the stowaway passenger intensifies the thrill, and the agony regarding who this person is and why he’s there begins… Well, not immediately!
The second act starts off a bit slow, not interested in providing crucial information immediately. Don’t be put off by that, though. Pace yourselves. Everything slowly and steadily is falling into place. When the dilemma is presented, questions such as: What would I do? How would I do it? What if I were him? How the hell did it come to that? And maybe more will get you engaged.
Writer/producer Ryan Morrison and co-writer/producer/director Joe Penna wrote and directed, respectively, a very claustrophobic drama/thriller/sci-fi full of moral decisions and dilemmas. XYZ Films, as always, made sure to invest in the film’s technological realism for a heartbreaking yet kind of believable outcome. Speaking of believability, Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim, Shamier Anderson, and Toni Collette give very decent performances and have good chemistry.
The denouement is arguably overdramatised, but it still serves the narrative’s purpose. I believe that the lukewarm reviews derive from the desire for more action, which the film somewhat lacks. Don’t be discouraged, though; its other qualities compensate. While in lockdown, having nothing much more creative to do, Stowaway becomes the escapism we potentially need/want.
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Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!
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