Stowaway (2021)

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I'm a genuine lover of every genre in cinema, but sci-fi is one of my absolute favorites. Within this area of storytelling, I find one-location space movies - usually inside a spaceship of some kind - incredibly captivating when done right. Joe Penna (Arctic) directs and co-writes his sophomore film in a challenging environment for any renowned filmmaker, let alone someone who's starting to build his career. Creating a story and developing it through the same halls, walls, and rooms for two hours is definitely not an easy task if the goal is to convince viewers to stick around until the end. Entertainment and filmmaking-wise, it's a tremendous challenge.

With that said, Stowaway is the first big surprise of 2021. Penna and Ryan Morrison put together an emotionally compelling screenplay, packed with excruciating moral dilemmas and a career-best performance from Anna Kendrick (A Simple Favor, Pitch Perfect). The actress raises to the occasion of being the protagonist of a movie that also has Daniel Dae Kim (Raya and the Last Dragon, Hellboy) and Toni Collette (I'm Thinking of Ending Things, Knives Out), stealing the spotlight by demonstrating her more dramatic side instead of her comedic comfort zone. Shamier Anderson (Destroyer, Love Jacked) also offers a remarkable display, which will probably catapult him into making more appearances with more recognizable actors.

The trailers might lead some viewers into believing Stowaway holds a fast-paced, entertainment-driven narrative, but the generic yet interesting premise is taken through a much more human, grounded perspective on life's most complex decisions. With the exception of Collette's character arc, every other astronaut receives a well-written script that gives them a fully developed personality with a complete backstory and dynamic, authentic dialogues. Unfortunately, even though Collette delivers a fantastic interpretation as always, her character spends most of her screentime talking with a random, invisible Earth engineer in a separate room, almost as if the actress was kept apart from the rest of the cast. The slow pacing is negatively impacted by this questionable narrative decision.

Technically, huge praise to the futuristic set design, which allowed the camera to move across the space station with ease, giving Penna and Klemens Becker (cinematographer) the chance to employ long, tracking shots that help make the atmosphere feel less monotonous. The VFX artists also deserve massive compliments for everything the viewers see outside the spaceship. Gorgeous, wallpaper-worthy images are spread throughout the runtime. The last act features suspenseful, nerve-wracking situations, but most importantly, it possesses an ending that will spark conversation after the credits roll. Is it a predictable, formulaic screenplay? Kind of, but it's beautifully made by an extraordinarily dedicated, talented filmmaker who I recommend everyone to follow closely.

Rating: B+

Good watch, might watch again, and can recommend.
(Especially for those that liked Gravity.)

This is a very smart, and fairly technical movie about space, both surviving and traveling within it.

Gravity is the only other movie that seems similar (Passengers is more science fiction), and I'm really hoping to see more science fact movies like this come about.

While some of that may put you to sleep, the survival aspect should add enough drama for those looking for an interesting story alongside their space epic.

Stowaway had a solid premise, but it didn’t quite reach its full potential. The story is simple but could have been executed better. The tension is there, and the stakes are high, but a lot of moments feel forced rather than naturally unfolding. It also has some pacing issues, making it feel slower than it needed to be. The moral dilemma at the core is interesting, but the depth of the story doesn’t hit as hard as it should.

The directing is fine, nothing too special, but the cinematography and CGI are where things fall short. With the entire movie taking place on the spaceship, the visuals needed to feel immersive, but they just don't. The ship itself doesn’t look as real as it should, making some scenes feel like they’re missing that extra layer of realism. That being said, the performances were good. The cast did their job well, bringing emotion into the story, but even with solid acting, the script felt a bit weak. Some dialogue and situations felt unnatural, like they were trying too hard to create drama.

The sound design and score are decent, nothing that really stands out, but they do their job in setting the tone. It feels like a lower-budget film compared to other space movies, and that shows in both the production and execution. It had potential to be something more intense and thought-provoking but didn’t quite get there. Not a bad watch if you like slow-burn space dramas, but it’s not one that leaves a lasting impact.