Stowaway: Netflix’s Pensive and Unbelievable Mars Movie

Space movies are entertaining, thought-provoking, and popular. They’re both fantastical science fiction, yet also an enticing look at our future. The next frontier is getting closer all the time as two private enterprises launched missions to space in the last couple of weeks. Since we’ve long accomplished landing on the moon, Mars has become the next long-term objective and that has been well represented in movies. Total Recall, Mission to Mars, The Red Planet, The Martian, and many more films have depicted the perils of reaching Mars. Stowaway is the latest one.

The movie starts on the launch pad of a two-year mission to Mars; no build-up or backstory. Three occupants are on board: Commander Marina Barnett played by Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense, Unbelievable), medical researcher Zoe Levenson played by Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air, Pitch Perfect), and biologist David Kim played by Daniel Dae Kim (Hawaii Five-O, Lost). Before long a big surprise and name of the movie. A bleeding engineer Michael (played by Shamier Anderson) falls out of an equipment compartment. The carbon dioxide scrubber was damaged in Michael’s fall resulting in the gut-wrenching realization that there is not enough oxygen to sustain a crew of four. David is forced to grow his algae plants he was saving for Mars to generate more oxygen. Two members of the team attempt to secure additional oxygen canisters from the upper-stage rocket necessitating the you-knew-it-was-coming spacewalk. A solar storm is heading their way.

Stowaway has some things going for it. The film looks good and the confinement of the ship is palpable. In a way, it’s refreshing that the entire movie is in the here and now – no flashbacks home and even the communication with ground control is muted to heighten the tension that these four are on their own. There’s no turning back. Despite the harrowing predicament, the crew is calm and focused on coming up with solutions. It’s not an intense fast-paced space thriller; more of a slow churn. They are faced with an agonizing moral dilemma if they cannot secure more oxygen supply.

Character development suffers, however, by concentrating solely on the crew in space. There are a few personal conversations, but not enough for you to feel anything for them. They’re blank pages, particularly the great Toni Colette’s character. Also, the biologist is nauseous from the get-go. I found it really farfetched that anyone selected for this mission could suffer from motion sickness. But by far, the biggest hurdle to get over is the stowaway; yeah, the premise of the movie. I’m no astronaut, but how is it possible to accidentally get stuck in a module on board a spaceship? I could have accepted some devious ulterior motive for Michael, but an inadvertent stowaway is asking a lot of the viewer.

D² Rating ◼◼◩☐☐

If you like Mars movies and appreciate getting to know the characters, try Away, the 2020 Netflix series starring Hilary Swank. If anything, it might spend too much time back home with husband (Josh Charles) and daughter (Talitha Bateman), but there’s a whole dramatic story there, as well. It’s beautifully filmed, emotional, and involves interesting people. Unfortunately and surprisingly, the show was canceled after one season. It seemed that the creators had planned for a season 2 on Mars and maybe a season 3 getting home and the homecoming. They do make it to Mars at the end of the first season, so some closure, if you want to check it out.

Trivia ? – In February, 2021 NASA landed a rover and helicopter on Mars. What are their names?

Answer: Perseverance (rover) and Ingenuity (helicopter)