Stowaway: Intimate Space Drama Lacks a Punch

Crap going wrong in space is nothing new. Joe Penna’s take – taking the form of his new film Stowaway – isn’t too difficult to work out from the title as Shamier Anderson’s young engineer (Michael) finds himself waking up (and very lucky to be alive) on board a Mars bound spacecraft to the surprise of his fellow travellers.

When you get your head around the plausibility of it all, the film turns into a neat – and spectacular looking – drama. I’ve heard it called the ‘Sophie’s Choice’ of space films, but this doesn’t quite have the dramatic chops to really follow in those footsteps.

The subtle lifting that Anna Kendrick and Daniel Dae Kim do for their characters makes them likeable and relatable and gives the dramatics a chance to succeed, especially as we get closer to the climax. Yet the endgame never quite feels like it fully earned its spot – with the big action sequences feeling very much ‘been there, done that, got the Mars Rover t-shirt’ and the subsequent result feeling somewhat predictable.

It’s quiet, it’s nice to look at and it has very watchable performances – but if you’re expecting a big space extravaganza this isn’t for you.

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