Voyagers is a 2021 film that takes place on a space shuttle in outer space containing the last hope for the human race. A group of men and women, who were bred for the sole purpose of caring for the human race to colonize a new habitable planet, start to question their role, their purpose, and each other as they defy orders and tap into the most primitive natures of man. As we watch the small society break into chaos, we see many of the core characteristics of humanity like fear, lust and the power struggle play out.
Before I delve into the chaos that’s unveiled throughout the film, it’s important to point out the “Blue Drink”. The “Blue Drink” is a dose of medication that was distributed to the group to mellow the group down. As an adult, I didn’t think anything about the medication. Everyone has a job/task and they seemed content participating in maintaining the space shuttle. I was pretty impressed by the maturity and capability each person possessed and thought that the medication was meant to take the edge off from being stuck in a shuttle for however many years it would take to reach the new planet.
However, shortly into the film, I discovered that maturity and competence were a huge misconception. While the castmates appear and behave like adults, I believe it’s more accurate to call them teenagers. And what happens when you leave most teenagers to their own devices? Yes. Chaos ensues. And that’s exactly what happened when they slowly stopped drinking the “Blue Drink”.
These kids went crazy! Some started fighting each other. Others started having sex with each other. They stopped doing their jobs. And the power struggle was lead through fear-mongering tactics and aggressive sheep herding.
As we finished the film, I was intrigued by the characteristics the director chose to expose in this environment: fear, lust, and power. Fear is exposed as the initial emotion before the “Blue Drink” is even removed from the equation. The fear of the unknown is what resonated with me the most. While there are new techniques every day on how to overcome fear and embrace life, sometimes it just seems unavoidable and all-encompassing.
Their lust spread like wildfire. It was a little surprising though. It seems like a common notion that boys carry the torch when it comes to lust; however, I know that everyone is different and has their sex drive level. Without an understanding of intimacy, lust, and sex, I can see how things easily escalated to that point. With the “Blue Drink” involved in their daily routine, I’m guessing that the commander of the ship did not see the need to introduce nor explain it out of fear that it would spark interest. But it just seems irresponsible to leave this discussion to chance especially when the primary objective was the reproduction of the human population. At some point, this conversation would have to take place.
The power struggle was the inspiration for this post. Every setting you’ve ever been in has at least one instance of power struggle. Whether it’s between individuals in a relationship or members preparing for a group project, the need to have someone in a position of power is necessary. The issue occurs when more than one individual wants that power and/or shows signs of abusing it. We see it every day in politics and our corporate jobs. Occasionally, there is one person that will take initiative to shift power in hopes of introducing a better environment for everyone. And other times people will comply to keep the peace out of complacency or fear. Power is a strange, beautiful concept that comes and goes. All it takes is a few simple techniques and follow through and you could command the room.
This film was no exception. The main antagonist and protagonist wrestled with their power for half of the film. Wrestling between fear and logic tactics to lead a group of teenagers with no clue of how to control or understand their emotion, mental or physical state made the majority sheep.
While I don’t expect the film to appear as a major hit blockbuster, I can appreciate the thought and intellect that went into this film. The casting was impressive as each character worked to depict the various emotions and thoughts that could unfold in a metal ship floating through space. Lust, fear, and the struggle were only the tip of the iceberg. Each character could be analyzed for their behavior and actions throughout the film. But as I look at the film in its entirety, it’s easy to see how these three concepts are present in humanity. I don’t any of them are all good or bad. Pieces of the make us who we are. And with anything, too much of any could spell out disaster for us as individuals and components in society.
What are your thoughts? What do you think the core characteristics of humanity are? What do you think they should be?
D'Miria Collins 