Voyagers - movie review

Voyagers - Movie review by Keith Metcalfe

Everyone says it feels like a Lord of the Flies, and it does, but more importantly, it sticks in a strong element of The Blue Lagoon, which is definitely missing from Lord of the Flies. Makes sense that there would be a sci-fi version of the story, so I'm surprised it hasn't been done before. It's different not just because the kids are around 18, so not really children, but instead of being stranded, the bad element actually purposefully removes the lone adult authority figure because he considered him to be competition for the fellow astro-teen that he lusted after.

That's very different from Lord of the Flies. And there is an element where they discover that their puberty urges are being chemically dulled, so avoiding the medication is what brings about the rush of hormones.

The actors are all a bit better than good. I've always liked Colin Farrell, even when he's been in less than stellar films. I haven't seen Yoga-Hosers yet, but Rose Depp does stand out, even though I wish they gave her a bit more to do. I think it could've been a stronger story if her personality made her the object of the male's attention, rather than just her unusually good looks. (Although I admit, maybe that wouldn't make sense, as the movie states that their personalities were all chemically dulled.)

I was excited to see this because the director is Neil Burger who did "Limitless" ten years ago; Which I found to be the most visually exciting film since "Fight Club", 12 years before that. The direction is good, and there are some really interesting flourishes, like rapid montages, and mixing some archival footage with what's happening in the present (not unlike his incredible "Interview with an Assassin", the rarely seen film of his from 2002, about JFK's assassin doing an interview for a film scholar neighbor).

So why is this boring, when it has all the ingredients for a great film? Because their personalities are so bland, we don't really get to know them, at least not until they 'break'. And there are no surprises. And not just because we recognize the story. It just sort of lies there. It's bland. And that's a shame, because it looks good, and feels like a better film during many moments as you watch it.