Directed by Morten Tyldum, “Passengers” is a science-fiction romance film starring Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence in the central roles. It follows two passengers, Jim & Aurora, among thousands of people on an interstellar spacecraft traveling farther from Earth, who wake up decades before their induced hibernation. The script, written by Jon Spaihts, explores themes of loneliness, mortality, and the meaning of life. Besides Pratt and Lawrence, the film’s cast includes Michael Sheen, Laurence Fishburne, and Andy Garcia in key roles. Rodrigo Prieto, known for his collaborations mainly with Martin Scorsese and Alejandro González Iñárritu, has shot the film.
Spoilers Ahead
Passengers (2016) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
“Passengers,” streaming on Netflix, follows the life of two passengers on a spacecraft who are awakened several years before the end of their hibernation period. The script explores their pasts and their vision of the future.
What happens in Morten Tyldum’s ‘Passengers’?
“Passengers” (2016) is set in The Avalon, a lavish spacecraft traveling with 5000 residents from Earth along with 258 crew members who stay in hibernation pods. They are all on a 120-year-long journey to Homestead II after the destruction of Earth’s population and biosphere. Their sleeper ship is filled with all the amenities for humans to survive for a brief period, meant to be used by crew members who are scheduled to get out of hibernation earlier than other passengers. However, only after 30 years of journey does Jim Preston (Chris Pratt) wake up prematurely. Since an asteroid collides with the ship, the resulting malfunction in the defense system ends his hibernation.
Jim, a mechanical engineer from Earth, is the sole human awake on the starship. So, through his discussion with the holograms and the available resources, he realizes his situation. He tries to send a message but understands he cannot afford it. Arthur (Michael Sheen), an android bartender, is his only source of comfort and company. He works inside a bar resembling a replica of Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining.” Arthur tells him that the hibernation pods are fail-safe. But Jim’s release proves that wrong. So, for a while, Jim attempts to repair his hibernation pod to the best of his ability. After all, who would want to live in a human-less world only to die? But he cannot come up with a solution.
Why does Jim break Aurora’s hibernation pod?
After several attempts to repair his hibernation pod, Jim gets frustrated. Arthur suggests he embrace his present instead. So, Jim gives up and tries to enjoy the amenities while he can. But shortly after, he gets tired of them. Eventually, he puts on a spacesuit that allows him to float in the space. But even that does not fill his void. While walking through the pods, he notices Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence), a journalist and a writer, and gets attracted to her. Through her old tape, he hears about her past. Her father was a Pulitzer Prize winner. Still, despite her work, she never felt satisfied with her existence.
Jim reads Aurora’s book and gets even more impressed by her. Eventually, after almost a year of lonely existence, Jim ends his loneliness by breaking her hibernation pod. Right upon her release, he runs away so she won’t know he released her. Eventually, they meet each other and learn only they are awake. She tries to find a way back into her hibernation pod, but to no avail. So, eventually, she stops her efforts and accepts the new reality. Both of them spend more time with each other. With no other way to spend her time lucratively, she starts writing a book and learns about his life.
Jim was tired of his futile existence on Earth. So, he decided to be on Homestead II to be resourceful in building a new world. She admires his purpose. They discuss how other passengers might have struggled to find meaning in their lives on Earth. He challenges her established thought process, and she respects it. So, after a series of playful encounters, she gradually falls in love with him.
Passengers (2016) Movie Ending Explained:
Does Aurora learn the truth about Jim?
After spending time with each other for a while, Jim and Aurora fall in love. So, Jim decides to propose to her with a ring. Before he does so, Arthur accidentally informs Aurora that Jim has awakened her. So, she justifiably gets angry at Jim and expresses her frustration. After that realization, she refuses to interact with him. With nothing else to do, Jim decides to plant a tree inside the ship. Shortly after, another pod fails and awakens Gus Mancuso (Laurence Fishburne), a deck chief officer. With Jim & Aurora, he accesses the ship’s bridge to discover many failures in the system, which is rapidly rising.
Gus doesn’t know the reason, and the computer cannot help him with it either. But he knows the failures can eventually kill all the passengers and the crew. Soon, Gus learns that Jim prematurely awakened Aurora. He justifies Jim’s immoral actions as he empathizes with Jim’s helplessness and need for a lifeline. During these conversations, Gus doesn’t tell them about his deteriorating health. Eventually, he falls severely ill and is on the verge of death. So, under those dire circumstances, he hands over his ID badge and employee code to Jim and Aurora so they can access areas reserved for the crew to repair the ship.
Can Jim and Aurora save The Avalon from destruction?
After Gus’ death, Jim and Aurora begin to realize the root cause behind the initial pod failure. With increasing malfunctions inside the ship, the duo joins hands to save it. They head to the power plant and notice the damage to its computer module. With the increasing issues with power usage, the two find themselves in trouble as they attempt to pressurize the cabin. The duo replaces the module, but the exterior vent fails during the following process. It forces Jim to go out into the space for a manual procedure. There, he faces severe wounds that lead to his clinical death. So, Aurora gets into the space herself and brings him back.
With the help of an Autodoc, Aurora brings Jim back to life. Their mutual efforts save The Avalon from destruction. During this whole process, Aurora again falls for him. Eventually, they realize that the Autodoc can be used as a hibernation pod but just for one person. He insists Aurora use the pod, reach Homestead II, and tell stories about them to the people. But Aurora refuses that offer and decides to spend the rest of her life with him.
Decades later, the passengers and crew wake up shortly before the ship reaches Homestead II. Inside the ship, the survivors see a grand tree and lush vegetation all around. Through recorded audio, Aurora tells them about the life she built inside the Avalon with Jim after she chose to embrace her present.
Passengers (2016) Movie Themes Analysed:
Fate & Mortality
“Passengers” presents two differing perspectives on fate and destiny. Aurora believes they have agency over what happens in their lives and is driven to make the necessary changes. On the other hand, Jim is submissive, at least initially. He accepts his fate and does not believe there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Regardless, without a working hibernation pod, they are bound to die inside a ship suspended in space. This situation shapes their new perspective on mortality. Throughout the journey, they redefine it based on the changing knowledge and circumstances.
The Meaning of Life
“Passengers” explores the struggle of its characters to find a sense of purpose in their lives. The film explains that most passengers entered the program for not having the same in their lives on Earth. Eventually, when Jim wakes up, he realizes he is the only human being alive on the spaceship. Subsequently, he experiences loneliness and despair. It leads him to wake Aurora up from hibernation. As the daughter of a Pulitzer-prize-winning writer, she struggles to find a meaning for her life where her writing will likely never have a reader beyond Jim. With the later realizations, they assign a purpose that best suits their spiritual needs.
Passengers (2016) – The Final Word
“Passengers” feels like a male voyeuristic fantasy from the perspective of a loser archetype. Its male character finds a connection with a woman only after he is left stranded and when she is a conventionally attractive woman who will fall for his schtick. As if that’s not enough, the film also features the damsel-in-distress trope besides the male savior complex. So, the film achieves a rare feat of simultaneously feeling like a sincere narrative and its SNL spoof.
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Passengers (2016) Movie Trailer:
