Voyagers

Don't be fooled, Voyagers is primarily an expedition into the dark and twisted corners of the human mind rather than a sci-fi expedition into outer space, but that's what sets it apart from the rest and it's exactly why I'll remember the film years from now. From the beginning, you are struck by the fairly original and intriguing idea of a society creating 20 test tube babies and, isolated from the world, "making" them their own so that they can be sent into space and not miss human life. On board, however, they discover that they are under the influence of drugs that dampen their human and sexual urges, decide to drop them off, and then the real chaos ensues. Not only are the actors convincing and excellent, but the script, in particular, is surprisingly not as silly as is the norm these days. The film literally gives the viewer to eat up a lot of the issues that are on people's minds - from sexuality, violence, aggression, crowd manipulation to taking over a ship and gaining alpha-male status. It handles themes clumsily at times, but more often just deftly enough, and I was entertained throughout, simultaneously tense as a string, and at times chilled to the bone. For much of the running time, a pretty compelling film about human nature that is ingrained inside everyone, and the imaginary division of people into "good guys and bad guys", which with a little imagination can actually be compared to today's division of people into the covid and anti-covid camps. Immediately after watching it, I am thrilled and after the initial uncertainty I got a decent portion of suspense, literally out of nothing (54%? a mockery for me), I recommend it! (08/12/2021)

Judging by the reviews here, on Imdb and RT, I was expecting worse from Voyagers. This is not to say that Neil Burger's film impressed me in any significant way, though. The premise alone certainly had potential, but that was lost in the execution, which could have done more with the characters, the setting of a spaceship with no escape, and the overall building of atmosphere. Voyagers highlights how people can be moved by (un)wanted emotions, and how easily they can be manipulated when a disturbed (wannabe) "alpha-male" who can exploit fear and ignorance takes power. While it lacks that coveted "cosmic confinement and despair" (see Alien, Gravity, or Life) and a rawer handling, toned down to target a younger audience, it is still a solid three-star one-off. PS: The comparison with Lord of the Flies, which I have neither read nor seen (yet), is spot on! (08/01/2021)

Burger is good at nice visuals and the premise is interesting, but that isn’t enough. The screenplay is weak and soon slips into a predictable routine. The kids behave like idiots, but not one of them is likeable. The only one to make an impression in acting terms was Colin. + Shame that we didn’t get a look at the surface of the planet. (11/04/2021)

Interesting concept, worse execution. The story will engage and surprise the viewer, but apart from one plot line it has nothing to offer... Unfortunately, all the characters behave in a template-like manner and sometimes everything is pushed to the extreme, until the viewer doesn't want to believe it. However, the form of the spaceship and its functionality is another level above what is usually the case with other films. It's a good film, which captivates, but has almost no thematic overlap... (06/08/2021)

When comrade teacher Farrell left the classroom, it was clear that sniffing around the exercise bike saddle in the women’s gym would be the least of the rowdy youth’s transgressions. Neil Burger's Das Boot in the depths of space, however, seemed to forget that the devil is in the details. If he had focused more on the method of child-rearing before the start, from which the story could then develop, and not immediately attempted to bend Jack Sparrow’s daughter and the narrative into cheap manipulation, maybe I wouldn’t have ended up feeling that instead of a reasonably intelligent Holly, I was watching a Cat ordering fish repeatedly at a vending machine. This box office bomb deservedly exploded. (07/01/2024)