by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Have you ever gone into a film with zero expectations and the director was nowhere on your radar… but the film really took you by surprise? For me, one perfect example of this situation was the survival thriller, Arctic. Yes I knew who Mads Mikkelsen (the lead) was, but I had never heard of Joe Penna (the writer and director of the film). But I learned very quickly that Penna had a lot of talent behind the camera. The tension was impressive and the technical work was impeccable. This was a lean and streamlined film that drove forward with purpose as it fully owned its genre nature. I knew Penna was going to be a talent to look out for in the future.
But could Penna take that talent from Arctic and deliver it into a sci-fi film set in space?
You take the white void of the tundra and replace it with the dark void of space. It is that easy, right? Maybe not. Penna teams up with Netflix on his new venture, Stowaway. This space-based film focuses on a trio of astronauts who go up into space to travel to Mars only to find an injured man trapped in the ship causing some game-changing issues with the ship. Why is the man there? How did he get there? Are those questions even important? For this story, Penna and his co-writer, Ryan Morrison, are not too keen on that aspect of the story. The film is much more concerned with how this team will overcome the odds and potentially make a sacrifice in order to make the venture successful for the majority. The driving force of the films does turn out to be a bit drawn-out as the film continues to have the characters pushing off that hard choice. Most of the characters get some layers that shine through during the film except for maybe our stowaway, who is pretty uninteresting. The story delivers a few set pieces that notch up the tension and gets the audience engaged. But similar to Arctic, the film really wants to be able to offer a streamlined genre experience.
With a screenplay that is not exactly the most complex or compelling, does Penna’s direction deliver?
It sure does. But before the gushing begins… we need to talk about pacing. The film feels long for being two hours because of the dragging pace laid down in its center. There are intense sequences that make up short bursts of the film but the rest of the film takes its time… maybe too much time. But can Penna deliver some serious tension? He sure can. We witnessed him creating tension in the tundra, and that carries right over to our astronauts confronting the nothingness of space. There are some well-structured sequences on the outside of the ship that crank up the thrills for the audience. Penna is able to get strong and emotional performances out of the cast as he knows just how long to hold onto them in the camera eye. The music, which is layered and dynamic, really captures the spirit of the scenes and delivers moving experiences. Whether the music is gentle and moving or eerie and intense, Volker Bertelmann brought so much more life into the film. Then there are the long takes that are so beautiful. Nothing gets this avid lover of cinematography more than some impressive long takes. The way Klemens Becker navigates the ship and makes us feel like we are one of the crew makes for a compelling cinematic experience.
With a film with such a small cast and confined focus, what does this small group of actors do with the film?
From the opening scene, we see great physical acting as our lead trio deal with their incredible shot launch. Each actor delivers such a genuine performance from the start that we get to know their character so quickly. Anna Kendrick is full of energy and zest for life. Is she too much for the other crew members? Probably. We feel those feelings too. Daniel Dae Kim embodies the logic and science of the mission. The Lost alum is so committed to this characterization that you feel his pain in losing out on his potential experiments. Toni Collette… that could honestly be all I need to say, right? Collette is strong and commanding (while rocking her Australian accent). She is the leader and you feel that in her presence but behind closed doors Collette delivers such great vulnerability. Honestly, the whole four-person cast is key with displaying vulnerability as they confront terrible moral decisions that would break anyone.
Does Joe Penna follow up on his potential from Arctic?
That talent is certainly apparent in this film. Stowaway floats on the compelling moral dilemmas that bring out great tension and vulnerability. Beautiful special effects bring to life this incredible and outer space setting. This cast carries the audience through the slow and deliberate pacing of Penna’s tale. Is this a rip-roaring sci-fi experience? No, but should that matter?
Grade: B-