Voyagers
lionsgateWith a rather shaky career up to this point, filmmaker Neil Burger hoped a change of scenery would provide him with a newfound sense of inspiration or quality in Voyagers. Following a group of adolescent boys and girls who are on a long-term expedition to colonise a distant planet in order to ensure the safety of humanity's future, Voyagers attempts to be an energetic look at adolescent angst and the powerful yet confusing emotions that young men and women can face. By taking a rather immature and off-putting approach at this exploration however, Voyagers feels like a clearly confused misfire rather than a valuable expedition
On paper, it is clear what Voyagers is attempting to do. Similar to previous projects such as Lord of the Flies, by putting these characters in a confined and totally unique environment, the stage is naturally set for their chaotic emotions and hormones to build into chaos as these young men and women have to deal with. The issue comes, however, from what the film actually manages to accomplish. The first thing that becomes clear regarding Voyagers is how overtly immature the it is both in nature and execution. Seeing these young individuals suddenly find a new reward in physical aggression and sexual behavior as if they just did cocaine in a high school locker room provides very little in terms of enjoyment.
Worst of all, this provides very little in the form of substance. Ultimately, it is hard to actually narrow down what Voyagers seeks out to accomplish in the terms of story or message. If the film wanted to capture the struggles and complex emotions of puberty, ultimately it needed a more subtle and crafted approach along with something deeper to hold onto. Voyagers shows the forces of puberty but never goes beyond just acknowledging their existence which feels far from new information considering nearly anyone who will watch the film has been through the experience themselves. Intensifying the emotions by having it hit the characters suddenly in a claustrophobic space doesn't add anything either but makes the story even harder to engage with. Specifically when it comes to how various characters deal with their new sexual urges which borders on sexual assault and rape, it becomes incredibly hard to empathise with these characters and their struggles. Continually, Voyagers feels like an experience the audience wants to escape from rather than engage with.
It also doesn't help that the performances are all-around lackluster. Especially when put into contrast with someone like Colin Farrell, who carries a much more supportive role within the film, it is clear that someone like Tye Sheridan was doomed from the start with his inability to hold the audience's attention and be the leading force in the narrative he is supposed to be. Granted, the screenplay from Neil Burger doesn't assist in this task. Not only does the script feel immature and underwritten, but even conceptually it places individuals like Sheridan in a difficult position. Being responsible for both engaging the audience while also holding back most of his emotional range, it is clear that this is a bad combination that ultimately leads those like Sheridan to failure.
Whilst the pitch of Voyagers might sound intriguing enough, the execution tears apart nearly any sense of potential the project held. It is clear that the entire cast and crew – especially Neil Burger – were just not of the craft needed to find something valuable within this concept. The film, above and beyond anything else, is a terrible blend of uncomfortable morals and annoying immaturity that makes it clear that this project should be sent into space away from anyone who might think it is worth the time of day.
