The survival of the human race depends on the resources provided by Mother Earth. With the recent developments surrounding climate change and the pandemic we are still going through, it is possible that, in the near future, this planet which we call home will take its final breath. Given all the technological advancements, especially in the space program, there might come a time when we have to leave Earth to look for another planet to call home.
Writer-Director Neil Burger explores that concept with Voyagers. Centered on a group of young men and women born through artificial reproduction and raised in a closed environment, this group embarks on an expedition led by Richard (Colin Farrell) to colonize a distant planet that will take 86 years to reach. They endure this long journey so their future grandchildren will be able to live on the planet. The mission soon descends into madness when the crew uncovers a secret that has been slowly demolishing their primal instincts as human beings.
Since the dawn of time, the primordial natures of being human haven’t changed. We are still concerned with the basic needs of pleasure, hunger, and power, and most importantly, survival of the fittest. Burger takes these basic instincts and enhances them in his characters as they become helpless experiencing these powers for the first time. With their chief officer Richard dead, Zac (Fionn Whitehead) tries to take control of the ship but is voted out by the crew who selects his best friend Christopher (Tye Sheridan), who is the opposite of what Zac represents. This becomes the central plot of the movie, as Zac uses fear and intimidation to take back control of the ship, while Christopher, Sela (Lily-Rose Depp), and Phoebe (Chanté Adams) try to stop him.
Voyagers notes how easy it is to become influenced by our urges. How as humans, we have always needed a leader to follow. How we create a specific set of rules for society to follow only to break those rules in search of freedom. However, all these themes are played on the surface, never explored to the point where the conflict between these characters feels genuine. To further the disappointment, the movie falls flat and becomes predictable as it enters into its final act.
Adding to its character arc woes, once Zac’s primal urges start exploding, the first thing Burger explores is his need for pleasure. That is poorly shown through Zac grabbing and sexually assaulting Sela, immediately making him the antagonist. Burger stretches this theme by linking it to Christopher, who tries to step in and protect Sela. Sela responds by telling these horny dudes that she can look out for herself. There were so many other possibilities that could have been used to dig into these characters. Burger’s laziness in putting effort into his character’s motivations only leads to the downfall of a promising premise.
With the exception of Depp who plays Sela, the ship’s chief medical officer, none of the cast stands out. Sheridan gives a mostly robotic performance as a one-dimensional character. Whitehead is given the task of being the bad guy, which he embodies very well at first. As the story moves forward, his character’s motivations become muddled and the performance gives out. Farrell’s presence is just about a whiff and nothing else. The rest of the cast just feels like they were given a single character trait to pick and continue with that.
Voyagers feel like a movie that picked the Plan B part of Interstellar and made something out of it with young adults. Though the film’s concerns about how controlling people’s prime instincts could lead to chaos and madness are clear, it is the execution of said theme where the movie loses its steam. Voyagers feels like a missed opportunity where so much could have been done with the intriguing subject it takes on. Instead, it sticks to a premise that has been washed and rinsed countless times. With dry performances and little motivation, Voyagers fizzles out before reaching its destination.
