This Sexy, Controversial Sci-Fi Epic Tops the Prime Video Charts
In 2016, both Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence were at the top of their respective games. Pratt had gamely shifted from mockumentary goof to bonafide movie star with roles in both Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy. Lawrence, already an Academy Award winner, had just wrapped her role in The Hunger Games series of movies. Putting the two of them together seemed a surefire success, but even movie stars today struggle with original concepts (and monumental budgets). Enter Passengers, the $150 million space odyssey that crashed to Earth when released in December 2016. Luckily, there’s been a reappraisal of sorts, as Passengers is currently the most-viewed genre movie on Prime Video. Check out a trailer and synopsis below:
Per Prime Video: Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt star in a high-stakes adventure about two passengers, Jim and Aurora, onboard a spaceship transporting them to a new life on another planet. The trip takes a deadly turn when their hibernation pods mysteriously wake them 90 years before they reach their destination. As they try to unravel the mystery behind the malfunction, they begin to fall for each other…
Jon Spaihts (Prometheus, Dune) always intended for Passengers to be more than just another epic space movie. If you’re familiar with the movie, you’re likely aware of its controversial twist. I won’t spoil it here if you haven’t seen it, but the movie undoubtedly shifts Passengers into ethical territory its handsome cast and big budget would otherwise belie. The movie is streaming free on Prime Video if you’d like to know more.
A critical and commercial failure at the time of release, those involved have somewhat dovetailed in their assessments of the project. Producer Neal H. Moritz has shared that the film was treated unfairly by both the press and audiences, while star Jennifer Lawrence shared with the New York Times, “Adele told me not to do it! She was like, ‘I feel like space movies are the new vampire movies.’ I should have listened to her.”
While I’m not a particularly big fan of Passengers, I do respect the movie’s ability to circumvent trends and try something new. Bold ideas aren’t enough to render a movie successful, but it’s a heckuva lot more interesting than more of the same. Audiences, at least, are happy to rediscover everything Passengers has to offer on Prime Video. Check out some choice reactions below:
What do you think? Did you like Passengers when it was first released? If you haven’t seen it, any plans to check it out on Prime Video? Let me know either way over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
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