“Stowaway,” released in 2021, is an intense character-driven sci-fi thriller directed by Joe Penna and co-written by Penna and Ryan Morrison. The film sets aboard a spaceship bound for Mars and further tackles deep ethical dilemmas centered around survival, duty, and the worth of human life. Stowaway further crystallizes the psychological drama of space films into a morally explosive, yet intimately character-driven film, harnessing a minimal cast and setting.
Stowaway is headlined by Anna Kendrick, Toni Collette, Daniel Dae Kim, and Shamier Anderson. Unlike other sci-fi films, Stowaway trades intergalactic warfare and space battles for emotional and realistic storytelling. The film has a slow burn and demands the audience to think for a moment of their life and the impossible choices they may face.
Synopsis
The story opens with the launch of the MTS-42 spacecraft, set to undertake a two-year mission to Mars. The crew is composed of three members:
Marina Barnett (Toni Collette) is the mission commander, a seasoned veteran embarking on her last space voyage.
David Kim (Daniel Dae Kim) is a biologist in the mission, responsible for studying and growing plan life for future colonization.
Zoe Levenson (Anna Kendrick) is a medical researcher on the mission, who due to her outstanding performance and empathy, makes her a candidate for the Mars mission.
Not long after takeoff, the crew realizes they have a stowaway. Michael Adams (Shamier Anderson), a launch support engineer, is concealed behind a panel in the life support system, but he is trapped behind there due to the takeoff. Michael is a problem on multiple levels. For one, he is a stowaway, life support systems were designed to support three people, and on top of that, he was a stowaway who modifies the balance of life support systems oxygen levels.
The crew make their best efforts to accommodate Michael and continue the mission while they try to fix the broken carbon dioxide scrubber. But eventually, they realize that the scrubber isn’t the only issue. With existing emergency protocols, only three people can survive the trip to Mars. This predicament places the crew in a moral conundrum: Should they sacrifice one person to save the remaining three?
The remainder of the film explores the impact of the moral and psychological scars of violence that the crew endure To stir up the tensions of killing someone, they have to face some of the things that had A cry for help. It is a sobby fragment of the limits of caring, self-giving, and obligations in the observation of unavoidable death.
Characters and Performances
Zoe Levenson (Anna Kendrick)
Zoe is played by Kendrick who gives the role life and understanding as someone who is compelled by love and the essence of life’s value. Although Zoe’s character is the moral balance of the piece and as such is the eternal optimist as well as the emotional glue that holds the team together, Kendrick is given light-hearted or comic parts. Hehere, however, Zoe’s character demonstrates Kendrick’s ability in more serious parts. As the moral balance of the film, Zoe is the optimist who does not want to accept that anyone has to die.
Marina Barnett (Toni Collette)
Collette brings authority and internal conflict to her role as the mission commander. Barnett is realistic, composed, and a no-nonsense leader who has to make choices that ensure the crew’s safety and the success of the mission. As she balances empathy and responsibility, she is also tested as a leader. As the character who suffers the most from the storm, she also must appear to be calm which is a source of great pain and sorrow in her chest, as she tries to carry all the pain of all the hard choices that she has to make, which is also the essence of Collette’s controlled acting.
David Kim (Daniel Dae Kim)
David is logical and studies details closely, which shows interest in the success of the Mars project as well as the biological experiments he has in his possession. Kim portrays David with a reserved fervor, unfolds his struggle as he grapples with achieving scientific milestones and having to consider human lives. His relationship with Zoe brings in emotional conflict as they perceive the crisis from opposing ethical lines.
Michael Adams (Shamier Anderson)
Anderson gives a sympathetic and a strong portrayal of Michael, the unintentional saboteur whose very existence puts the mission at risk. Michael, a man who simply wished to be a spectator to the event, ends up in a nightmarish predicament. His confusion, fear, and increasing sense of guilt is illustrated with gut-wrenching authenticity. The innocence of his character heightens the moral conflict of the crew.
Themes and Philosophical Depth
Stowaway is not a tale involving aliens or a fight in space. The focus stays on people and emotions. It explores how humans behave when they are in the greatest possible pressure, how values, compassion, and the caring for others are challenged, in a life or death scenario, where logic tries to take over.
One of the film’s central themes revolves around the conflict of utilitarianism and deontology. Utilitarianism involves actions taken for the good of the greatest number of people, while deontology is about valuing every life equally. Marina and David tend to lean towards utilitarianism, acknowledging that saving three people may necessitate the death of one. Zoes, on the other hand, upholds the idea that no one should ever be sacrificed. In this case, Zoe feels the one being sacrificed is someone who did nothing wrong.
Human connection, and the interplay of technology and isolation, alongside the more powerful theme of isolation. The spaceship serves to heighten the psychology of the setting. Every decision is made in extreme isolation from Earth. There is no possibility of the team turning back. There is no cavalry coming. The only people who can do something are the people who are already on board. Within this emotional crucible, bonds between characters are tested and, deepened, and are ultimately defined by sacrifice.
Sacrifice is an idea woven into the very fabric of the story. The characters are already on a mission that demands giving up years of their lives. But now, the mission has added the need to physically survive. By the end of the film, one character is pushed to the need to make the ultimate sacrifice. This is not something that is forced upon him, but a decision he freely chooses.
Cinematography and Atmosphere
Stowaway is simple but graceful. The spaceship interiors are simple and minimalist, showcasing sleek functionality and eliminating any flamboyant elements. The confined space enhances the claustrophobia and tension, and the exterior shots of space are limited to the bare minimum, reinforcing the characters’ isolation while simultaneously awe-inspiring.
The film does not rely on special effects, visually telling the story through authenticity. The production design mirrors the near-future space travel: practical, believable, and devoid of fantasy. The music is understated and subtle to not overwhelm the the film’s emotions, supporting the mood.
Reception and Legacy
Stowaway’s audience responses were categorized as positive or mixed. The premise, performances, and emotional depth were well received, but the pace and climax were considered underwhelming for a sci-fi thriller. Realism, character-driven plot, and moral complexity is what grounded science fiction fans appreciate.
Stowaway is in the same tradition as Moon, Gravity, and The Martian. Unlike the aforementioned movies, Stowaway stands out for not providing easy answers to the viewer. The film immerses the viewer in the painful decision-making process under existential pressure. Instead of answering the ‘how’ of space, Stowaway answers the ‘why.’
Conclusion
Stowaway explores profound science fiction themes as it depicts humanity’s most primitive instincts and questions, what does it truly mean to be human when up against insurmountable obstacles? The film combines powerful acting and deep emotion to go along with the unforgiving tale, and it serves as a reminder that the most difficult journeys a person has to make are not physical ones but are moral in nature.
Stowaway depicts space but in the broader picture, it explores the nature of human values that human beings experience on Earth, such as the nature of love, fear, determination, and selflessness. The film does not enable you to forget about it easily as it forces the audience to think about their moral choices and trust long after it is watched.
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