A most unexpected Netflix sensation from 2021. The outer space drama STOWAWAY, co-scripted and directed by Brazilian musician/filmmaker Joe Penna (of 2018’s ARCTIC), debuted on April 22, and within 24 hours jumped to the top of Netflix’s most-watched listings. My take on the film? It’s not 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, GRAVITY (although that film clearly exerted a sizeable influence) or even THE MARTIAN, being closest to SPACE CAMP (1986) in terms of subject matter and quality.
The film is thought to have been inspired by the 1954 story “The Cold Equations” by Tom Godwin (dramatized for the TWILIGHT ZONE eighties reboot), about a cosmonaut on a supply run who discovers a young woman stowaway in his spaceship, although in truth the details of the story and film are divergent enough that STOWAWAY can stand on its own. That’s not necessarily a compliment.
The set-up has one Marina Barnett piloting a spaceship on a mission to Mars, together with a doctor named Zoe and a biologist named David. Not long into the run they happen upon an unidentified man stowed away inside a compartment. Initially unconscious, the man, identified as Michael, believes he’s still on Earth, and doesn’t recall making his way onto the spaceship. He nonetheless fits in well with life aboard the ship, although when it’s discovered that Michael’s presence has compromised the already-tenuous food and oxygen supplies Barnett decides he has to go. David and (especially) Zoe disagree with this edict, leading to an inevitable four way power struggle.
The film has a most unexpected arc. After a noisy and (literally) propulsive opening it settles into a quiet and introspective drama that prizes slow-building suspense over action. The moral quandary at its center is suitably provocative, but also lessened by the ending. About that ending many an online complaint has already been aired, and indeed it is pretty lame.
Another complaint: the sound design is a constant annoyance, juxtaposing vastly over modulated ambiance with barely-audible, mumbled dialogue (not an unusual dichotomy nowadays), although the special effects are impressive, imparting a depiction of outer space that’s majestic and never less than thoroughly convincing. Another plus is the quirky casting that actually works in the film’s favor, particularly that of Anna Kendrick, who I think it’s safe to say is nobody’s first choice for a space babe but proves quite endearing as such. Toni Collette, Daniel Dae Kim and Shamier Anderson aren’t bad either, bringing a great deal of conviction to material that, frankly, needs it a great deal.
Vital Statistics
STOWAWAY
Augenschein Filmproduktion/RainMaker Films/Netflix
Director: Joe Penna
Producers: Jonas Katzenstein, Maximilian Leo, Clay Pecorin, Ulrich Schwarz, Nick Spicer
Screenplay: Joe Penna, Ryan Morrison
Cinematography: Klemens Backer
Editing: Ryan Morrison
Cast: Toni Collette, Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim, Shamier Anderson