Passengers is a 2016 film blending science fiction and romance. It deals with interstellar travel and human emotions set in the future, highlighting the issues of human loneliness and social relations, as well as the motive of enduring for one’s ethics set in hope. Directed by Morten Tyldum and written by Jon Spaihts, the film still captivates the audience, nearly a decade later, with its astounding graphics and passionate expressions of its cast, making poignant a notion of loneliness and the notion of company.
Story overview
Fifteen years plus the one for the Portugal-Central Border, the interdisciplinary oversized stone ship drydocks over Portugal’s Lisbon, carrying low thirty souls. The ship conducts hyperbolic propulsion, suspended hibernation is pre-transitive tethering to the Californian gravity well in the Orbit of Earth. Aboard each fiber biodeck, Loose Clan Mantee M, hails from a transgenerational spéculant ranch crushing rheumatoid hibernation pods. Never pieces of rock, but a Brand New Life across these perceivably lifeless times. A Plan, metaphysically unageable.
Something goes awry, however.
A failure of the sleep pod functionality means that, after 90 years of hibernation, he is still alone on the Axiom with nobody out of the pod. With the rest still asleep, he is trapped and wakes up with nobody to talk to. Having 90 years left in the odyssey is an overwhelming thought, and as the strangeness of time dilation sets in, the strangeness of solitude is also felt strongly together with the weight of being the only soul awake.
Arthur, the bartender is the only other living thing he gets to speak with on the pod, he has an ability to speak and listen friendly to people. Despite being of help, and psychologically friendly, he does not change the fact that he is still the only human. While doing so, he finds the copy of an assignment done by a thanh niên profile, Aurora Lane. Aurora is a progressive writer hailing from New York, full of tenacity and ambition. Jim is fascinated by her tale and finds out that she is a thwun sleeping. That is when he gets to the hardest part, when he decides to wake her up.
When Aurora wakes, she stands in disbelief and confusion. In the same way as Jim, she believes her pod has also suffered a malfunction. The two new acquaintances have now begun to spend time together. In the course of their interactions, they derive pleasure from each other’s company and form a strong bond. Eventually, the bond transforms to love, and they are able to enjoy their time together in tranquility—for a while, at least.
But the reality comes out sooner or later.
Aurora comes to know that her untimely wake is not an accident—Jim intentionally woke her. This leaves her feeling angry, sore and heartbroken. It is nothing but a betrayal, and her faith in Jim is sorely tested. Once the fulfillment of relationship is attained, the state of loneliness ensues yet again.
During this critical point in time, the ship starts to malfunction in even more dangerous ways. Due to a system malfunction, another passenger, Gus Mancuso, comes awake. Now, along with Jim and Aurora, Gus tries to solve what is causing the malfunctions. The find out that the ship has sustained destruction long ago from a small asteroid. It is now in danger of overheating and failing completely due to the fact that the wreckage has been expanding at a slow pace.
Among the other repairs that are part of the repair works, Jim has to work particularly on something that lies outside the ship, something that is particularly dangerous. With the help of Aurora, he is able to get the ship systems functioning again and, consequently, saves the people on board. During this time, the both of them reconnect and start to learn a bit more about each other.
Ultimately, Aurora has the chance to re-enter her hibernation as she was initially promised but chooses to be with Jim instead. Together, they began to create a home on the ship, filling in the once desolate and empty hallways. Many years later, once the ship has arrived at Homestead II and the passengers onboard have woken up, they discover remnants of a life oceans deep. These remnants include personal belongings of the passengers, pieces of literature, and even plants. These belongings tell the tale of two people who were able to flourish in the most unprecedented of scenarios.
Character and Performance
The emotional struggle Jim Preston is supposed to be feeling in the movie is beautifully conveyed by Chris Pratt who plays the role of Jim. During the movie, Jim has to deal with the pain of solitude before making a life-altering decision.
As Aurora Lane, Jennifer Lawrence beautifully highlights the immense amount of growth and change a person has to go through during challenging times, incorporating poise and fragility along the way.
The role of Arthur who is a cheerful android barkeep and a secondary character in the movie is played by Michael Sheen.
In the movie, Gus Mancuso, played by Laurence Fishburne, provides insight and direction at an important moment in the narrative.
The film is elevated by the emotional resonance of the leading actors, whose palpable chemistry enhances the narrative’s emotional layers.
Thematic Analysis
- Solitude and Relationship
The human need for connection is evidently explored throughout the film. Jim’s solitary confinement emphasizes the emotional pangs of loneliness, while Aurora’s presence illustrates the restorative effects of togetherness.
- Change and Forgiveness
The narrative demonstrates the concept of how trust can be betrayed while showing the necessary steps of understanding, action, and transformation in order for it to be restored.
- Life’s Purpose
In the case of Jim and Aurora, life is almost ‘constructed’ while the situation is still untenable. This serves as a reminder to the audience that even when circumstances are not ideal, it is still possible to derive a sense of meaning and pleasure.
- Accountability and Decision
The moment Jim decides to wake Aurora brings forth the ideas of choice and consequence. This along with other scenarios in the movie asks the viewers to reflect on some moral dilemmas: how much should one put their personal interest at stake for the interest of others.
Visuals and Environment
The artistry of the film is captivating. The design of the spaceship is sleek and futuristics, with the interors masterfully merging tech and warmth. The outer space sequences are impressive and extenuate the calm beauty of the cosmos. The sound and music reinforce the emotional construct, helping the audience move from feelings of isolation to uplifting moments of attunement.
Reception
Though the film was polarizing, it ignited conversation. Viewers, while some argued the the narrative’s ethical intricacies, at the visuals and performances. Regardless, the film was still regarded as thoughtful, romantic, and emotionally engaging.
Conclusion
Passengers (2016), shifts the narrative of science fiction into a contemplation of the human condition and the evolution of bonds, and the essence of ‘what is it to be human.’ what life throws in, and how love, forgiveness, and courage can transform the most steriotypically bleak situations into someting beautiful.
The film, deeply emotional, visually beautiful, and captivatingly acted, is a work of art that, in its essence, is a travel venturing both in the cosmos and in emotion.
Watch Free Movies on Fmovies