Voyagers movie review 2021

MOVIE TITLE: VOYAGERS

Now in theaters only. Lionsgate hasn’t been consistent in when they decide to allow a movie to go to streaming during the pandemic, so no VOD date has been announced yet.

RATING: PG-13 (The film almost got an R-rating from the MPAA.)

LENGTH: 1 hour 48 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

Hormonal teenagers running a spaceship…what could possibly go wrong? This teen thriller feels like a futuristic space version of William Golden’s Lord of the Flies. So, is that a good thing or a bad thing? Lionsgate presents this new space drama written and directed by Neil Burger. He stated, “It’s about human nature in a vacuum – who we are at our core.”

I really loved Neil Burger’s film Limitless and highly recommend it. The TV series off-shoot was also very good. They both take a look at how drugs affect the human psyche and how we see the world. I also thought his Divergent franchise was entertaining, so I was excited to see what he was going to do with this movie.

THINGS I LIKED:

Tye Sheridan leads the pack of hormonal teens in space. I really liked him in Ready Player One and he has even been in the recent X-Men: Apocalypse movies. He started his acting career at a very young age with roles in movies like Mud and Joe. He always plays a likable guy, so I immediately liked his character.
Fans of Johnny Depp will get a kick out of seeing his daughter, Lily-Rose Depp as the leading lady in the movie. Her mom is the famous French singer, Vanessa Paradis. You can also see her in her most recent movie “Crisis” and see my movie review of that film here.
Colin Farrell always makes a film better. Sadly, he’s underutilized in this movie.
Another leading character is played by Fionn Whitehead from Dunkirk (great movie!)
While most of the movie is pretty dark, the ending sequence was very hopeful. As viewers, we know the story isn’t over, so it’s fun to imagine these characters’ grandchildren completing this mission.
I really liked the concept of sacrifice for the greater good and how these characters would never actually land on the destination. Instead, their grandchildren would be the ones to reach the goal.
Many of the scenes feel claustrophobic, which causes us to imagine what it would be like to live in such an environment. The set designs are clean and sleek.
The music is really great.
Impressive cinematography, especially considering the very tight spaces.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

You need to suspend your disbelief to initially accept the questionable premise of raising children in a sterile, almost non-human environment…as if that’s ever going to be a good idea. It certainly makes a case for the importance of being nurtured, rather than engineered. Children need to learn how to deal with their emotions.
There’s a scene where the music starts to build and then, all of a sudden, the music stops and the screen reads “Ten years later.” There are several abrupt transitions like that.
Some things don’t make sense. For example, the kids aren’t supposed to have emotions, but one of them starts to cry and another one says he’s afraid long before they stop drinking the substance that prevents their emotions.
This actually could have been an interesting mini-series on TV so that there would be enough time to really get to know the characters and care about them. As it is, most of the teenagers are annoying. Some of the secondary characters aren’t very compelling at all.
The awkward dialogue makes it difficult for the actors to really dig in.
It wastes the potential of taking a more profound look at human nature. Acts 1 and 2 start to dive into nuanced concepts, but Act 3 turns into a more young-adult thriller that only addresses the underlying issues on a surface level.
There really isn’t any humor and most of the characters are robotic during the entire film.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Portrayal of sexual relations and assault
Some teens without clothes on
Some violence with blood

THEMES:

Nature vs. Nurture
Emotions
Power
Control
The meaning of your life
Truth vs. dishonesty
Impulse control
Toxic masculinity
Fear
Creating divisions among us
What is the true nature of humans?
Sacrifices for humanity
Obedience
Questioning
Drugs
Jealousy

INTERESTING LINES:

“I never knew them but I know they lived an honest life. That’s all any of us can do.” – Richard (Colin Farrell)
“Nobody chooses what they’re born into.” – Richard (Colin Farrell)
“You have to decide what kind of a person you want to be.” – Richard (Colin Farrell)
“Which is better: to have rules and agree or run wild and fight?” – Phoebe (Chante Adams)