If you could throw it all away and start again, would you?
Could you leave behind your friends, family, job and life, all to start again somewhere billions of miles away?
That is what Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence are doing in their latest film, Passengers, before things start to go wrong and they find themselves alone on a ship that is slowly breaking apart.
The story is somewhat simplistic, but that doesn’t dampen the enjoyment that can be gained from the film. Unfortunately, the uncomplicated plot does mean that the narrative is a tad predictable, and there is little in the way of surprise for those who know their science fiction, in particular 2001: A Space Odyssey.
This is most evident in the denouement of the film, which sees a lot of the quietly built up tension into a moment that would feel much more at home in an action film than a relatively mundane sci-fi thriller. The scenes don’t damage the film per se, but they do feel as if the writer was struggling to find a way to give the film a gripping climax before the final deadline.
Despite this, a large part of the film is based around the interactions between Pratt and Lawrence and, to a lesser extent, Michael Sheen’s android bartender. It is here that the film manages to shine, as both actors have a great chemistry with one another which really shows on the screen. Without this, the film would just be a tedious trudge through a monotonous script.
Alongside the acting, the visuals help to sell the setting. The stark white emptiness of the interiors of the spaceship and the sweeping void of space emphasise how desperately alone the two protagonists are, while the regular use of wide shots showing the characters as some of the smallest objects on screen makes for a wonderful bit of cinematographic storytelling which is reinforced by the soundtrack. The audio itself is minimalistic, building to a crescendo whenever more tension is required, while the general lack of background music once again helps add to the isolationist feel of the film.
Ultimately, the main drawback of this film is its unfortunate descent into the realm of “trailers always spoil”. A lot of the scenes of major impact were used in the previews leading up to the film itself, leaving you distinctly disappointed when you realise why the sequence looks so familiar. It’s a terrible shame, as the film would almost certainly be greatly improved if there were more mystery from the start.
Overall, Passengers is a fun film that will distract you for its two hour run-time. Were it not for the incredibly invasive trailers and its release placing it in almost direct competition with Rogue One, the film would probably be a much bigger hit. As it stands, and it’s hard to place your finger quite on what it is, this movie is missing something that would make it great.
Passengers is out in cinemas now!
