Essentially Passengers is about turning an "abduction" into a romance. The film has it's main character, who is presented as a lovable, wonderful everyman (as Chris Pratt always plays), do the equivalent of abducting a woman because he deems it necessary for him, has him admit that's what he's done, has her rail at him for doing it, and then excuses it all because he's such a nice guy and he looks like Chris Pratt.
WTF!?!?!
This is simply not acceptable. The film never has the parties process the crime he has committed. he never makes amends. His redemption comes from doing something else, unrelated, which is noble, proving that he's not such a bad guy really... even though he did something horrible and never atones for it. He says "I'm so sorry" so I guess that makes it okay. No it does not.
The film is pretty much completely ruined by the time it gets to its ultra-contrived ending, but if it hadn't been, the stupid ending would have ruined it right there. Perhaps if he had died, if he knowing he had done something terrible, had offered himself to save her and actually paid that price, without her absolving him first, perhaps then it would have...
Oh who are we kidding. The whole thing is disgusting.
This could have worked. If this film hadn't been an apology tour for a man entrapping a woman. If the film had revealed the crime as a plot twist and the tone was one of horror, if the film had shown her falling under some sort of Stockholm Syndrome spell, if it had that darkness to it, perhaps it could have worked as a disturbing allegory. But instead it is a romance. A romance!?!?! Between a criminal and his victim.
Nope. Just nope.
Passengers
Starring: Chris Pratt, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Sheen, Laurence Fishbourne
Director: Morten Tyldum
Writer: John Spaihts
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