Some films are lost from the first idea, others only really go under after several weeks in the cinema. The sci-fi hit Passengers, on the other hand, flopped despite starring Marvel stars Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence and a $150 million budget. Not least because of a miscalculation in the script.
On TV: Sci-fi blockbuster Passengers has been panned by critics
In Passengers, a spaceship with several thousand people in hypersleep is on its way to a new planet. Preston (Pratt) is the only one who is woken up too early by a defect and must now spend his life on board the ship. Tormented by loneliness and suicidal thoughts for a year he finally wakes up Aurora (Lawrence) too, who is to keep him company from now on. And tells her that a mistake was also responsible for her short sleep.
Check out the trailer for Passengers here:
Passengers – Trailer (German) HD
Some will already recognize the error here. Pratt’s character deprives Aurora of her previously chosen existence in order to meet her own needs. Nonetheless, the film presents the two as a love duo. Lots of critics saw in it a romanticization of brutal encroachment.
According to The Telegraph, the film was “a chilling ode to manipulation“, the the “central act of violence” trivialize. Passengers suggest that “consent means nothing” and “stalking romantic“, judged ScreenCrush .
While the problematic story idea wasn’t the film’s only weakness (via The Guardian), it sure was a major factor in the film’s flop. Passengers ended up grossing $303 million (Box Office Mojo). This isn’t a historical flop, though disappointing for such a high budget.
When is Passengers on TV?
Passengers running this Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 8:15 p.m. on VOX. If you don’t have time, you can catch up on the sci-fi blockbuster on February 19 at 1:45 p.m.
The 10 biggest streaming films of 2023 on Netflix, Amazon & Co.
In this installment of our Moviepilot podcast, Stream Browsing, we take a look at the big movies coming exclusively to Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ and Apple TV+ this year. The result is a list of ten special recommendations.
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From the sci-fi epic to the potential Oscar nominee, everything is included. The talents gathered are particularly impressive. In 2023 we can expect new movies from Martin Scorsese, David Fincher and Zack Snyder in the streaming space, while Gal Gadot, Leonardo DiCaprio, Henry Cavill and Chris Hemsworth will be in front of the camera.
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