Passengers (2016)

The intergalactic romance between Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt does not in any way work out in this attempt at glorifing Stockholm Syndrome

Passengers is a movie that can be summed up pretty easily. Three people awakens from hibernation on a spaceship bound for a new planet. The problem, is that they have awoken 90 years before they should have. The 4997 other passengers are still going to sleep for 90 more years before they arrive to Homestead II.

The film has a pretty amazing cast. Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence are both good actors, but together they don’t work out,  another big flaw is that the plot is boring. Very boring. Michael Sheen plays the android bartender Arthur, who is also responsible for most of the films humourous parts and Lawrence Fishbourne appears as the chief deck officer Gus.

There are some problems with the way the characters are written. Jim awakens and spends a year alone on this massive spaceship before he decided to ruin the life of Aurora, a writer by sabotaging her pod and waking her up as well sentencing her to a life with him on this ship. It is quite creepy to be honest. Chris Pratt is usually brilliant but as this creepy lonely mechanic you can’t really go around and like him. It is this disturbing glorification of Stockholm Syndrome. Jennifer Lawrence does some spectacular acting as this witty writer who actually falls in love and develops a sexual relationship with the man who “Murdered” her by sentencing her to die on that spaceship and oh yeah. Around this time it actually turns into a sci-fi film cause the spaceship is about to blow up as well.

Morten Tyldum, known for directing the incredible The Imitiation Game back in 2014 is not doing his best directorial work in this film. The movies pacing is so slow. First Jim is alone drinking with his new BFF Bartender android Arthur before he turns into a freaking creep ruining this girls life and when she points out him sentencing her to die there with him they have to work together and ends up loving eachother. It is not really trustworthy at all.

If we look at the production there is some good parts here. Solid cinematography and The Avalon and everything we see on the screen look really good. The movie has some spectacular space scenes and has a score being written by the fantastic Thomas Newman.

This movie was in “development hell” for years, and with a manuscript like that I can understand it. In these days and ages something as creepy and slowpacing like this should never have been made. It is not okay.

Passengers is not a good film due it is horrible manusscript. The fact that it paces so slow and can’t really make up if it is a romantic but disturbing comedy or a sci-fi movie really does not make it worthwhile watching. Even though Jennifer Lawrence and Michael Sheen really shines in their parts and the score is amazing.

Also. Did I mention that the plot is like super creepy?

Score: 4/10

Trailer: