Julien Neaves, Sci Fi Head Writer
Plot: A group of teenage astronauts on a multi-generational mission in the year 2063 begin to turn on each other with lethal consequences.
Review: I remember seeing the trailer for 2021 Sci Fi thriller Voyagers and it did not look like anything special. But it recently dropped on streaming service Max, so I decided to check it out. And yeah, it isn’t anything special.
Directed by Neil Burger (Limitless, Divergent), Voyagers is another example of an intriguing science fiction concept that falls apart in the execution. Sure, scientists looking for a habitable planet because Earth has been climate-ravaged isn’t exactly novel, but having the crew born through IVF and isolated from the outside world is an interesting setup. And the transition from emotionless drones to wild and uninhibited individuals set the stage for a deep dive exploration into the nature of humanity. But yeah, this film does not have such a lofty goal.
Instead, Voyagers seems very satisfied in having a group of attractive young people reenact Lord of the Flies in generic Sci Fi thriller fashion. Maybe if the film had ditched its PG-13 rating for a hard R and really went all in on the human depravity then there would have been something worth watching here. But it is all so tame and predictable in a very CW fashion. It is all paint by numbers and just slightly more entertaining than watching paint dry.
Let’s chat a bit about the cast. The usually dependable Colin Farrell is here, but his character lacks the writing and the screentime to elevate this affair. And the leads Tye Sheridan and Lily-Rose Depp put in some effort, but they are also hobbled by the weak script. And because all the characters are so one-note and underdeveloped, even the potentially thrilling scenes fall flatter than a pancake that was run over by a steamroller. The only positive here is that the special effects are decent, and the set design is well done. That’s it.
Voyagers crashed and burned at the box office, and decidedly so. There are a lot better Sci Fi thrillers out there more deserving of your time.
Editor Jules’ Score: 3 out of 10
Julien “Editor Jules” Neaves is a TARDIS-flying, Force-using Trekkie whose bedroom stories were by the Cryptkeeper, learned to be a superhero from Marvel, but dreams of being Batman. I love promoting Caribbean film (Cariwood), creating board games and I am an aspiring author. I say things like “13 flavours of awesome sauce”.