Penna, Joe (1987- )

This Netflix film pushes a crew of space explorers to moral and physical extremes when an unexpected passenger accidentally compromises their oxygen supply.Films set in outer space are often on a quest for meaning, filling the vast unknown of the galaxy with humanity’s basest anxieties. “Stowaway,” directed by Joe Penna, pushes a crew of space explorers to moral and physical extremes when an unexpected passenger accidentally compromises their oxygen supply. Yet for all the empathy it expects of its viewers — every character cries onscreen at least once — the film is troublingly removed from human reality.That’s not to say these characters aren’t likable or well-rendered by the starry cast. Toni Collette stands out as always, playing a veteran astronaut on her last mission. Anna Kendrick does well as the beating heart of this film, a foil to the stoic Daniel Dae Kim. And Shamier Anderson holds his own as the surprise fourth crew member, though he is given far too little to work with.Despite its futuristic musings, the film’s greatest weakness is its approach to the stowaway. His presence forces the other characters to reckon with whether he should live or die, thus the film asks, “How does anybody make an impossible decision?” What the film should be asking is, “How do two white women and an Asian man decide whether a Black man should live or die?” The viewer may ask, “Why isn’t this film from the point of view of the Black man up for slaughter?”“Stowaway” may be set in the future, but surely it is not so far removed from the present that these questions should go unanswered.StowawayNot rated. Running time: 1 hour 56 minutes. Watch on Netflix. More