Well, it had actors. And it had dialog. And there was a plot. So I guess it was a movie. Nothing overtly bad about this movie. But nothing really great either. Just a movie about a problem in space and a plot that crawls along, with no real twists (except predictable ones), no great dialog, no great acting. Just a movie about some stuff that happens. OK to watch if you want to pass the time. Just don't expect a lot.
977 Reviews
Not bad at all
brentgreen-2284524 April 2021
This is one of the rare times i agree more with the legit critics rather than the users.
Its not a 10. But certainly not a 5.5 either.
I dont know what people expect anymore. I wonder if its an ADHD thing.
The characters were good. Good story and writing too.
Sure its a slow burn but not a waste of time in my opinion.
Its not a 10. But certainly not a 5.5 either.
I dont know what people expect anymore. I wonder if its an ADHD thing.
The characters were good. Good story and writing too.
Sure its a slow burn but not a waste of time in my opinion.
Well paced with likeable characters
jtindahouse22 April 2021
Space is such a great and fascinating setting for a movie. You get the beauty of it, but you also get an unmatched sense of claustrophobia and isolation. 'Alien' used the tagline "In space no one can hear you scream", but it really applies to any movie set in space. You have to mess up pretty badly to make a bad movie set in space - I'm looking at you 'Jason X'.
I knew nothing about 'Stowaway' going in and it was a very different plot to what I expected it to be. I expected it to be more of a thriller with characters turning on each other and secrets being revealed. Instead it was very different to that, falling far more into the drama genre. It's a reasonably simple story when you think about it, but it's effective enough for the movie to keep ticking over. The runtime is nearly two hours, however it never feels like it's dragging.
I think the main reason it never feels like it's dragging is because the characters are so likeable. There are only four members to the cast, but they are all excellently written and all performed very well by what is a strong ensemble cast. No one character ever dominates or takes over the film. They all work nicely together and the movie is stronger for it.
Another thing I really liked was that I felt like I had no solid grasp on how the movie was going to end. It felt like anything could happen spanning the full range of the spectrum. A happy ending wouldn't have surprised me and a devastating ending wouldn't have surprised me. You'll have to watch the film yourself to find out how they went about that though. I had a good time with 'Stowaway' and would say it is worth your time.
I knew nothing about 'Stowaway' going in and it was a very different plot to what I expected it to be. I expected it to be more of a thriller with characters turning on each other and secrets being revealed. Instead it was very different to that, falling far more into the drama genre. It's a reasonably simple story when you think about it, but it's effective enough for the movie to keep ticking over. The runtime is nearly two hours, however it never feels like it's dragging.
I think the main reason it never feels like it's dragging is because the characters are so likeable. There are only four members to the cast, but they are all excellently written and all performed very well by what is a strong ensemble cast. No one character ever dominates or takes over the film. They all work nicely together and the movie is stronger for it.
Another thing I really liked was that I felt like I had no solid grasp on how the movie was going to end. It felt like anything could happen spanning the full range of the spectrum. A happy ending wouldn't have surprised me and a devastating ending wouldn't have surprised me. You'll have to watch the film yourself to find out how they went about that though. I had a good time with 'Stowaway' and would say it is worth your time.
It's a good movie.
imdblisk22 April 2021
Solid survival drama
rhett-p22 April 2021
Just like this director's other feature film 'Arctic', 'Stowaway' is a solid survival drama this time in the guise of a semi-hard sci-fi. If you enjoy survival films then this is probably worth your time.
The one-sided conversations go a long way to reinforcing the isolated nature of the crew, and the ending is entirely satisfactory (despite what some other reviewers might suggest). It looks good, has an atmospheric sound track and a small but solid cast featuring the always terrific Toni Collette.
It's not quite as good as 'Arctic' but I still enjoyed my time with this one and will be checking out the director's future work.
The one-sided conversations go a long way to reinforcing the isolated nature of the crew, and the ending is entirely satisfactory (despite what some other reviewers might suggest). It looks good, has an atmospheric sound track and a small but solid cast featuring the always terrific Toni Collette.
It's not quite as good as 'Arctic' but I still enjoyed my time with this one and will be checking out the director's future work.
Not blockbuster, but nice calm sci-fi movie
chosetrans22 April 2021
What can I say, there are no big bangs, no supermans, no Gravity suspense. In my opinion this is the way normal astronauts would act. They got that spot on. There is a lot of problems from the point of science (imprecise and impossible), but well, who cares. It is a movie, not a documentary. I actually liked it. I see those negative reviews as a little too harsh. It is not a film for everyone. Not a film for adrenaline junkies. But if you like space and space adventures, then it is for you.
Bare bones moral dilemma
nancyldraper25 October 2021
This is the first time I've seen Anna Kendrick in a serious dramatic role and she nailed it. This is a movie based on a moral dilemma but it also deals with themes of courage, self-sacrifice, hope and resourcefulness. There were a lot of science inconsistencies but the movie was not about science but was all about the premise. Excellent casting with Toni Colette, Daniel Dae Kim and Shamirr Anders giving solid performances. I give this film a 6 (fair) out of 10. {Moral Dilemma Drama}
The story... just... stopped.
zappatattoo22 April 2021
Excellent and plausible buildup to a suspenseful nothing. Plot holes galore didn't prepare us for the monumentally abrupt ending. Despite the lack of character development the movie was working well. But the lack of dialogue regarding their predicament only compounded the fact that the tale was lost from the get-go. Some lovely scenes, competent acting, elegant special effects. But at some point, the producers rang on the red phone to say that the party was over. Very disappointing.
Great special effects, shame the plot sucks
doujyr24 April 2021
Wonderful special effects, made it very believable. Unfortunately the plot was so mundane and really very ordinary! Even the unspeakably cute Anna Kendrick couldn't make it interesting (bit of a departure for her?). Should've spent more money on the script.
Netflix STOP!!!
tracy-9732029 April 2021
Stop raising the price of people's subscription to keep churning out this utter garbage all the time! The cast literally means NOTHING without a decent well written story & this was just a predictable snooze fest!
Better than expected
yaornw23 April 2021
This movie is basically the famous short story the cold equations retold with a slightly bigger cast so I went into it not expecting a whole lot that would engage me or challenge me, but Anna Kendrick's performance maybe one of the performances of her career. By the end of the movie I went from feeling it was cliché I am OK but nothing special to be in on the edge of my seat with intensity of caring about the outcome of these characters especially the doctor and that's saying something. There's only four people in this movie and they're trapped together in a spaceship. But they unpack a lot of drama and that's saying something given the rest of the cast. I would recommend this film.
Stupid People
ted40915 May 2021
Ok, should have been better
hawaiialin12 December 2021
Its better than you think!
mheide-818-77616011 November 2021
Just watched it, and i was initially put off by all the negative reviews and the rating. But I love sci-fi, and the actors are good. So I have it a try.
I was never disappointed. Nor was there any regret I watched it.
It moves slow. It feels for the most part realistic. Yes it takes a few artistic liberties. Most of the time it feels real. And if your not very hung up on that physics has to be 100% accurate, this will work fine. Im not going to give away the ending. But I liked it.
The film is slow, but feels real thanks to the directing and script. Yes, there are a few very big things we never get an answer for. But it would not impact the story much If we did. The story is about the stowaway passenger and how to handle a mission turned up side down because of that. How to say professional and committed while under a lot of stress. And being faced with impossible decisions.
The film is not prefect. It has its flaws or rather, It does not do anything wrong. It just could have been more.
I still liked it. It was a good film. 7 out of 10.
I was never disappointed. Nor was there any regret I watched it.
It moves slow. It feels for the most part realistic. Yes it takes a few artistic liberties. Most of the time it feels real. And if your not very hung up on that physics has to be 100% accurate, this will work fine. Im not going to give away the ending. But I liked it.
The film is slow, but feels real thanks to the directing and script. Yes, there are a few very big things we never get an answer for. But it would not impact the story much If we did. The story is about the stowaway passenger and how to handle a mission turned up side down because of that. How to say professional and committed while under a lot of stress. And being faced with impossible decisions.
The film is not prefect. It has its flaws or rather, It does not do anything wrong. It just could have been more.
I still liked it. It was a good film. 7 out of 10.
Solid space film
balthesaur14 September 2023
Zoe (Anna Kendrick), David (Daniel Dae Kim), and Marina Barnett (Toni Collette) launch into space on a two year trip to Mars. Less than a day after takeoff, a 'Stowaway', Michael (Shamier Anderson) is found in an access panel and with his discovery, the life support systems begin failing. It becomes a race against time to find a way to survive aboard a space craft without enough oxygen for four people.
The acting is fairly well done and the script is predictable, but entertaining. The flow is solid and the ending is satisfying, but a lot of questions are raised about the validity of the science around the film. Why do certain plot points need to happen? This film feels a lot like 'Gravity' (2013), in that it's enjoyable if you don't think too much about it.
Worth a once over.
The acting is fairly well done and the script is predictable, but entertaining. The flow is solid and the ending is satisfying, but a lot of questions are raised about the validity of the science around the film. Why do certain plot points need to happen? This film feels a lot like 'Gravity' (2013), in that it's enjoyable if you don't think too much about it.
Worth a once over.
did not resolve the main plot mystery
AziziOthmanMY29 April 2021
Could be better, could be worse
evilcho1 June 2021
If you don't dig into the details of the movie you'll probably enjoy it. I tried not to and it wasn't half as bad. There were interesting and intriguing moments. Rating would be somewhere around 6.5 but I rounded it up to 7.
Just not for some I guess.
nelchirillo19 July 2022
Not sure where all the hate for this movie comes from. Seems like there's a lot of NASA mission specialists in the review section. Are there plot holes? Sure, but it's no worse than any other movie Hollywood churns out these days. The cast is great and the writing makes it a very easy movie to stay interested in. If you want a super realistic, accurate, space drama... watch Apollo 13. If you're looking for a good, suspenseful movie with a lot of emotion, give stowaway a whirl. And I guess leave your NASA mission badge in the drawer.
Incomplete
mykjohnson22 April 2021
It's a good movie and it'll soon get you hooked. The acting and music are great and compliment each other. The one massive problem with the movie is the ending...I mean WTF? It finishes abruptly. Felt sad about the ending and furious about why it ended the way it did. Anyway I still liked it. So...
I wholeheartedly recommend this movie.
It could have been as good as "Gravity" but it wasnt.
doclingling1 October 2022
There are elements that made this movie easy to the eyes but hard for the brain. I went through the movie with a lot of whys and they-could-haves, I almost wanted to stop watching. But very good acting from the cast, and visuals are eye candies. It cant save the movie though from that unpleasant feeling you get toward the end. The physics are okay, I felt it was well thought and executed. Production design was superb. Musical score is also good. But I feel there are a lot of logical nightmares in the storyline itself that you had to endure throughout, especially the conflicting emotions you tend to feel toward the stowaway. Its one of those movies you wished there is a sequel for to somehow resolve that uncomfortable feeling you get after watching.
Entertaining enough to me.
deloudelouvain4 July 2023
I was going to rate this movie with a six just because I thought the end could have been better but since I really enjoy this genre of movies I changed it to a seven. The fear of the void, the emptiness, it's all contributing to an anxious experience when watching Stowaway. At least that was the effect it had on me, certainly the scenes where they were walking outside the space station. But I like that anxious feeling when I'm just relaxing on my couch with zero percent of real danger. For once a different role and genre for Anna Kendrick. Not a comedy this time and she did a good job. I always enjoy watching Toni Collette since the excellent series The United States Of Tara where she showed she can play anybody. Stowaway is an okay space/science fiction. It's just the ending that left me a bit unsatisfied.
Starts off ok but the legs fall off
chunkylefunga1 May 2021
Starts off ok and the concept is fine but the 2nd half just didn't really make any sense.
There's just no way this would play out like this in real life.
And of course you have to massively pretend like the scientific part of the movie is realistic, when the reality is is that it's laughable wrong.
There's just no way this would play out like this in real life.
And of course you have to massively pretend like the scientific part of the movie is realistic, when the reality is is that it's laughable wrong.
The negativity!!!
jodyhiscock22 April 2021
What a schlock job of absurd setups
ilikeimdb1 May 2021
I'm not going to reveal plot points except to say the agency in charge of this mission must be the sloppiest shop in the quadrant when it comes to keeping track of important things and in training its crew. The pace is glacial. The resolution is glacial. The plot absurdities should be burried in a glacier. It's not that the acting, per se, is that horrible but the whole thing is annoying and doesn't say much, ultimately, about the human condition except for the aforementioned poor management practices and crew safety practices that are beyond all redemption. Avoid.
Warning: contains strong female leads. May result in low ratings
melissa_c_higgins20 May 2023
This film is incredibly atmospheric, almost running like a documentary in parts, which was fascinating and immersive. The dilemma provoked a debate amongst us, roughly on the same lines as that discussed in the film, and we were equally torn. Toni Collette's anguish at not being able to help as Commander was palpable.
But Anna Kendrick stole the film. Apparently, according to reviewers here, its too unrealistic for a young woman in her early 30s to carry out those heroic feats when there were two perfectly capable men just sitting by. And that just bored them. Which says a lot more about the reviewers though than it does the actual film...
Imdb is becoming a bit redundant these days. Go with your gut, you don't need other people to tell you what you enjoy.
But Anna Kendrick stole the film. Apparently, according to reviewers here, its too unrealistic for a young woman in her early 30s to carry out those heroic feats when there were two perfectly capable men just sitting by. And that just bored them. Which says a lot more about the reviewers though than it does the actual film...
Imdb is becoming a bit redundant these days. Go with your gut, you don't need other people to tell you what you enjoy.
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