Voyagers (2021)
SHOULD I SEE IT?
YES
Young adult-themed science-fiction can pop interest from audiences, and Voyagers is definitely hoping to draw on younger audiences to be interested with three young, 20-something main characters.
The production design and visual effects work in the film is impressive, while Lily-Rose Depp, Fionn Whitehead, and Tye Sheridan do what they can in bringing life to the script they have been given.
Voyagers is essentially a “Lord of the Flies”-in-the-year-2073-in-outer-space movie, with a bit of a sinister angle to the proceedings. Some will find this edgy, while others…
NO
Are going to find the film contrived, half-baked, and even reductive in its messaging.
The premise is a lot to accept, even for a science-fiction thriller, and asks far more questions than Neil Burger has any interest in answering.
At times, the film embraces a bleak, almost nihilistic tone. This leaves one to wonder, is this supposed to be entertaining?
OUR REVIEW
Through the endless tracking shots peering down tightened, colorless white corridors, coupled with the escalating sense of dread, paranoia, and alpha-male behavior on display, the science-fiction/young adult saga Voyagers proves a rather tedious and monotonous affair. Called by nearly everyone who has watched it, “Lord of the Flies in Space,” (and I guess I just joined that throng myself), Neil Burger’s new film might have been better served as an episodic series on a network like the CW or Freeform.
Melodramatic to the end, Burger’s cast of promising young actors keeps this thing far more watchable than it has a right to be. Set in 2073, Voyagers tells the story of 30 young men and women (all around 18-20 years old or so) who are passengers on a massive spaceship heading to a hospitable new planet. Ten years prior, a pronouncement was made that Earth was no longer a sustainable planet and humans are dying. And so, with a new planet discovered, we are off to populate it and make it our own!
The trip will take 86 years, meaning the genetically created youth on board will be centenarians upon arrival - having literally and figuratively planted seeds for future generations.
Leading the voyage, Richard Alling (Colin Farrell), a scientist who agrees to shepherd these trailblazers into the great unknown. Richard is part babysitter, mentor, and chief officer for the compliant youth, who initially appear monotone and singularly focused on tasks and duties assigned. Implementing specific controls and checks-and-balances ensures the mission, and its goals and objectives, go off without a hitch.
Rising to leadership is Chief Medical Officer, Sela (Lily-Rose Depp), and Christopher (Tye Sheridan). Something of an apprentice to Richard, it is Christopher who first detects something may be afoul with the conditions they live in. When Christopher shows concern around the blue liquid everyone drinks on a regular basis, Zac (Fionn Whitehead) is all the ready to toss his glass in an act of defiance.
As it turns out, Zac’s first act of defiance is all this movie needs to begin spiraling off into several different places. Voyagers wants to get down to business and explore a great number of thoughts: The loss of inhibitions and the rush of adrenaline in breaking the rules. The ability to galvanize people into groupthink. The morality of good-vs.-evil and the ramifications of what it means to push back on conformity. The ease with which people willingly fall in line and follow someone, no matter the message or intent.
While it may seem to be heady stuff, Voyagers lacks the dexterity needed to make any of this mean anything. At 108 minutes, the film feels more suited to something where these concepts and ideas can be properly explored in different story arcs and narratives. Instead, Burger gives us simple set-ups and contrived conflicts; things we have seen countless times before. And here is where “Lord of the Flies” comes into play. As people act out, factions are created and people make decisions on who they follow, what they believe, and why.
By the time a tragedy befalls the shipmates, that blue liquid business becomes a distant memory. In its place comes sex (and some concerning consent issues), violence, ego, and hubris. This leads to moments of unintended hilarity, such as when Christopher wanders through yet another hallway, stumbling upon two shipmates hitting skins in the corner of a room. He scowls and makes eye contact with the female, then just walks away while she smirks back at him.
As Zac becomes a foil to Christopher, who has started having feelings for Sela, we have a random series of fights break out. My personal favorite is when Zac‘s buddy Kai (Archie Madekwe) brawls with good guy Peter (Viveik Kalra) and throws punches that can best be described as “Hulk! Smash!” and the dudes end up bloodying one another somehow, some way.
As you can perhaps tell, Voyagers becomes quite silly. To see the movie crash-and-burn is a bit of a shame because cinematographer Enrique Chediak clearly has a vision for capturing Burger’s story. He flirts with Kubrickian visuals and those seemingly endless hallways and the design of the ship is arguably the most interesting element of the film.
Yet, so many questions: How much of the youth decision-making and learning was generated in the lab, as opposed to becoming sentient humans who make learned decisions as they grow? Do we just assume that these kids all want to procreate? Why no acne? Why are all the passengers heterosexual? Why are no females seemingly friendly with each other? Why is the character identified as a weapons expert so inept with using them? Do we really think this is the best plan they could come up with? And what are those 100-plus year-old folks going to do when they arrive to this new planet anyway?
Voyagers is something of a hard try but misses its marks. Perhaps this will find an audience and interest will grow and a series of some kind can grow these ideas into someone more profound. Sadly, I doubt it. This voyage has likely reached its final destination.
CAST & CREW
Starring: Tye Sheridan, Lily-Rose Depp, Fionn Whitehead, Colin Farrell, Chanté Adams, Quintessa Swindell, Archie Madekwe, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Viveik Kalra, Madison Hu, Archie Renaux, Wern Lee, April Grace.
Director: Neil Burger
Written by: Neil Burger
Release Date: April 9, 2021
Lionsgate