By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Joe Penna
Starring: Anna Kendrick | Daniel Dae Kim | Shamier Anderson | Toni Collette
Country: germany, united_states
Year: 2021
Running time: 116
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9203694/reference
Michael says: “STOWAWAY is serviceable science fiction flick about a doomed mission to Mars and the four people on board who must race against the clock to find the slimmest chances of survival. It’s what I call an ethical thriller, because some pretty heavy, ethical choices are going to have to be made before the film is over and we are meant to be on the edge of our seats to find out what those choices will be. It’s actually more of a character study of these four individuals… or it would be if we knew more than some canned, somewhat stereotypical traits from each. Basically, a small crew is headed for a trip to Mars, where a base has been set up. There’s Marina, the commander, who is on her third and final trip to the colony. She is all no-nonsense, yet friendly and deftly handled by ever-reliable Toni Collette. Certainly the most interesting character to watch on screen, despite her smaller amount of screen time. Then there are the two scientists, David (Daniel Dae Kim), the biologist, who vomits at the vertigo, and whose algae is meant to scrub the CO2 out of the atmosphere to help with breathing, and Zoe, the doctor, who is submitted a proposal thinking she wouldn’t win, but sense this could the opportunity of a lifetime and is endlessly optimistic. That’s Anna Kendrick, the star of this shindig. They’ve made it out of orbit, despite the pretty shaky ride, and just getting adjusted to the tight quarters, when – surprise! An unconscious mine falls out of the ceiling, breaking Marina’s arms when she tries to catch him. Turns out Michael (Shamier Anderson) is a tech who got knocked unconscious before the ship launched? And now it’s too late to do anything about it? (Yes, it seems pretty far-fetched to me too.) Trouble is, the flight was pushing it with a crew of three, with four, there’s no chance of making it after they discover that Michael’s tumble out of the ceiling damaged the machine that keeps the air clean. You can see where this is going. A few ideas do come to mind, but one by one they fail, until the final, and extremely dangerous one, involving a lengthy space walk and the risk of solar flare-created radiation is all they’ve got left.
“Despite my flippant tone in the first paragraph, the acting is strong, and the actors manage to get you past some of the implausible set-up and really root for them. The production and camera work certainly make you feel like you’re in a cramped tube of metal hurtling through space. It’s an entertaining enough piece with some real emotion if you like any of the cast, or enjoy sci fi. 3 1/2 cats