Review: ‘Stowaway’ redefines space exploration with emotional depth – The Daily Titan

While much of the world celebrated the beauty of nature for Earth Day on April 22, movie fans strapped in for a launch with Netflixs newest space exploration suspense film, Stowaway. Adventures into space have a long history in Hollywood, but this newest addition starring Anna Kendrick captures a unique side of space exploration with heartfelt moments, realistic themes and beautiful acting that is simply out of this world.

Director and writer Joe Penna is no stranger to survival stories. Fans will recognize his name from the rolling credits of the 2018 film Arctic, which told a story of a man who was stranded in the Arctic and forced to find a way to live. Stowaway unmistakably embraces Pennas signature portrayal of human survival against catastrophic odds.

The film makes no apologies for its quick introduction, opening with a launch sequence that makes it clear that Earth will not be the main setting in this storyline. Viewers learn that Zoe Levenson, played by Anna Kendrick, commander Marina Barnett, played by Toni Collette, and David Kim, played by Daniel Dae Kim, are on their way to Mars for a two-year mission funded by a company called Hyperion.

Zoe is a bright-eyed doctor whose compassion, light-hearted attitude and emotional depth make her a shining star throughout the film. David is a level-headed biologist and a realist, making him an interesting character in life-threatening situations, and Marina is a disappointing, two-dimensional character who often doesnt contribute to the meaningful atmosphere created by Kendrick and Kims characters.

True to its title, the ship has a stowaway Michael Adams, played by Shamier Anderson. Michael is found trapped in the ships interior, an introduction that leaves viewers with an endless list of questions. Its clear from his distress after waking up that Michael did not stowaway on purpose, and his concussion keeps viewers from getting a clear idea of what really happened.

The mystery begins, but every mystery needs suspense and this movie knows exactly how to build it. Michaels entrance damages one of the carbon dioxide scrubbers, leaving enough oxygen for two people. With four people on the ship, David sacrifices his research to create more oxygen with algae, but that only affords them one more supply of oxygen. There are four people on the ship, but someone has to die to keep everyone else alive a notion that Zoe cant accept.

The suspense of this knowledge is brilliantly laced throughout the cinematography of the film. In a situation that is burdened by the immobile weight of mortality, Penna emphasizes that words are meaningless in that situation and employs a more powerful tool silence.

The film embraces the silence of space as the characters go through their days, allowing the gravity of the circumstances to take center stage. In phone calls to Earth, viewers hear one-sided conversations from the perspectives of different people on the ship, effectively expressing the crews isolation and emotional exhaustion from feeling unheard by the people on Earth.

Embedded into the quiet of the film are also moments of dialogue that fill the space with palpable emotions and intense character connections. At times, the dialogue can feel overdone when every little detail is explained by the characters directly, but other moments exhibit a brilliant chemistry between the actors. Anderson and Kendrick share moments that are not only emotionally expressive, but they also perfectly develop the characters with a simple and elegant style of storytelling.

If classic Hollywood cinema has made one thing clear, its that every space blockbuster involves a dangerous trip into the abyss of a star-filled sky, and Stowaway is no exception to this golden rule of movie magic. The characters anxiety is skillfully captured in the musical themes and the suspense of life-threatening situations. Add breathtaking camera work to that suspense, and Penna beautifully depicts the rare duality of space a fine line between its brutal inhospitality and the allure of its grace.

As viewers fall into the storyline, its safe to say that all eyes will be glued to the screen for the entire movie. Whether it's the light-hearted moments of laughter or the gripping emotional dialogues, this script makes it impossible to not be intrigued by every scene. If viewers are looking for a deep dive into emotion, this is the right movie, and the anxiety will keep hearts racing until the last moment.

However, viewers should know that this film is satisfied with leaving questions unanswered a frustrating story technique that might have people yelling at the rolling credits. To be fair, the mystery of the ending falls completely in line with Pennas theme about the complexity of survival and the intersection between morality and mortality there is no easy answer and there will always be questions.

Despite its flaws, Stowaway positively contributes to an extensive era of space exploration films. The chemistry of the cast combined with the beautiful cinematography makes for a contemplative storyline that properly explores the danger of space, the power of human connection and the importance of doing the right thing. Theres something alluring about launching into space, and there is no doubt that movie fans should join the crew for this heartfelt adventure.

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Review: 'Stowaway' redefines space exploration with emotional depth - The Daily Titan