Stowaway

It is a significant mission to Mars that is to be completed by the crew of three led by Captain Marina Barnett (Toni Collette). Along with medic Zoe (Anna Kendrick) and biologist David (Daniel Dae Kim), Barnett is on her way to the red planet. However, just hours after launch, they realize they are not alone. Due to an accident, Michael (Shamier Anderson) has landed on the spaceship as a stowaway. With a return to Earth ruled out, the astronauts begin planning to successfully complete the mission as a foursome. But then there is an irreparable defect in the supply system, so that the oxygen will not be enough for four people. There is little time to make a hard decision before all their lives are in danger....

"Stowaway" is a gripping space chamber drama that combines some "Gravity"-style moments of suspense with essential questions of ethics and humanity into a coherent whole. At the beginning, Joe Penna's production seems very conventional. The characters are almost clichéd and the dramaturgy treads very familiar paths. But this impression changes after a few minutes. With the discovery of Michael and the resulting decisions the characters are allowed to show more and more new facets. And also the story gets much more depth and tension, which also lasts until the end.

An important factor that all this works well is not only the acting of the actors and actresses, but also the set and the effects. Both are so convincingly realized that the audience actually has the feeling of being aboard a spaceship on its way to Mars. The nightmarish aspect works especially well, and surprisingly, it also takes hold in the scenes where members of the crew move around in space outside the ship.

"Stowaway" eschews rousing action in most moments, but uses it very effectively in spots. Otherwise, interpersonal drama dominates the proceedings, leaving you pensive at the end. Because you inevitably ask yourself the difficult question, what decision you would have made yourself in this situation. Even if the movie has some little lengths and has some small dramaturgical weaknesses, the overall picture can really convince in the end. Therefore, if you like movies like "Gravity", "Stowaway" is also absolutely worth watching!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp