Stowaway (2021)

Directed by: Joe Penna | 116 minutes | drama, science fiction | Actors: Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim, Shamier Anderson, Toni Collette

The plot couldn’t be simpler. In the near future, a spaceship heads for Mars with only three crew members: the expedition’s female leader, a renowned scientist and a young female doctor. Everything seems to be going well, but something went wrong unseen. A member of the technical team appears to have stayed behind – without realizing it – when the ship departed. When he is discovered, unconscious and injured from the launch, part of the oxygen supply is also broken. Dilemma: There is oxygen for three on a spaceship with four. And that spaceship can’t go back.

In the nearly two hours of ‘Stowaway’ that follow, we experience the astronauts’ dilemmas, the actions they take, the discussions they have. We soon realize, just like the astronauts themselves, that finding a solution is not very likely. This only makes the dilemmas more intense.

To turn such a simple plot into a successful film, it takes something that few comparable films possess. In a lousy space movie like ‘Sunshine’, the crew consisted of a bunch of surf dudes in spacesuits with no mental stability whatsoever. In other films, it is half commands that go into space. But a crew of such a spaceship must have the necessary mental stability in addition to intelligence and expertise. In addition, the aspiring astronauts are trained for years and learn all the procedures for every possible occurrence.

In ‘Stowaway’ we find characters who do convince as astronauts. Down to earth, empathetic, with a scientific outlook and a healthy work ethic. People with whom it is nice to identify. The stowaway is also a sympathetic person. What makes this film so gripping is that it is precisely these real-life people who are confronted with such horrific dilemmas. They are also convincingly portrayed, with Anna Kendrick playing the best role as the young doctor who never forgets her calling to save people.

‘Stowaway’ is a heartbreaking space drama for a heartbreaking small audience. The film is slow, has little action and relies on small, sensitive scenes. No showy heroism, no aliens, no muscles and no romance. A moving drama about what it is to be human. With an extra half a star for the beautiful ending.