Europa Report
A found footage film about a crewed mission to Europa.
In 2013, the American science fiction film *Europa Report* was released, directed by Sebastián Cordero with a screenplay by Philip Gelatt. The cast includes Christian Camargo, Anamaria Marinca, Michael Nyqvist, Daniel Wu, Karolina Wydra, and Sharlto Copley. Presented as found footage, the movie tells a fictional story about the first human mission to Europa, one of Jupiter’s four Galilean moons. After a major technical failure cuts off all contact with Earth, the crew faces additional crises but presses on, eventually gathering increasing signs of life on the moon.
The plot is narrated by Dr. Samantha Unger, CEO of Europa Ventures. Six astronauts—commander William Xu, pilot Rosa Dasque, chief science officer Daniel Luxembourg, marine biology science officer Katya Petrovna, junior engineer James Corrigan, and chief engineer Andrei Blok—set out on a privately funded journey to Europa in search of extraterrestrial life. Six months into the mission, a solar storm damages the ship and knocks out communication with mission control. During an EVA to fix the system, an accident tears Blok’s suit. As Blok is guided back to the airlock, he sees that Corrigan’s suit is coated with hydrazine, making it impossible for Corrigan to enter without contaminating the ship. Blok tries to save him by removing his suit, but passes out from lack of oxygen. Realizing there is no hope, Corrigan pushes Blok into the airlock, propelling himself away from the ship. He dies in space, and the crew continues, demoralized.
Twenty months later, the ship enters orbit around Europa. The lander touches down safely but misses its target zone. The crew drills through the ice and deploys a probe into the ocean below. A sleep-deprived Blok spots a light outside the ship but cannot record it or convince the others. The probe is struck by an unknown luminous object and contact is lost. Petrovna insists on collecting surface samples; after a vote, she goes. Luxembourg finds traces of a unicellular organism in the samples. Petrovna sees a blue light in the distance and investigates, but the ice breaks beneath her and she falls through. Her head-mounted camera shows her final moments as blue light reflects in her eyes before cutting out.
The crew decides to leave and report their discovery, but the engines fail.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Sebastián Cordero
- Producer
- Ben Browning / Kevin Misher
- Writer
- Philip Gelatt
- Starring
- Christian Camargo / Anamaria Marinca / Michael Nyqvist / Daniel Wu / Karolina Wydra / Sharlto Copley / Embeth Davidtz / Dan Fogler / Isiah Whitlock, Jr.
- Music
- Bear McCreary
- Cinematography
- Enrique Chediak
- Editing
- Aaron Yanes / Alexander Kopit / Craig McKay / Livio Sanchez
- Studio
- Start Motion Pictures / Wayfare Entertainment Ventures LLC
- Distributor
- Magnet Releasing / Magnolia Pictures
- Released
- 27 June 2013 · VOD · 2013 · 08 · 02 · United States
- Runtime
- 90 minutes
- Country
- United States
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film follows six astronauts on a privately funded mission to Jupiter's moon Europa: commander William Xu, pilot Rosa Dasque, chief science officer Daniel Luxembourg, marine biology science officer Katya Petrovna, junior engineer James Corrigan, and chief engineer Andrei Blok. After six months, a solar storm knocks out communication with Earth. During an EVA to repair the system, Corrigan is coated with hydrazine and sacrifices himself to save Blok. After twenty months, the ship orbits Europa and the lander lands, but misses its target zone. The crew drills through the ice and releases a probe into the underlying sea, but the probe is struck by an unknown luminous object. Petrovna collects samples on the surface, discovering traces of a unicellular organism, then falls through the ice after investigating a blue light. The crew attempts to leave but the engines malfunction; the lander crashes at the originally targeted site, killing Xu. Blok and Luxembourg attempt repairs; Luxembourg dies falling through ice, and Blok fixes the communication link but is killed by the blue light. Alone, Dasque re-establishes communication with Earth and, as the lander sinks, opens the airlock and sees a tentacled, bioluminescent creature before the camera cuts out. An epilogue confirms the crew discovered life.
Reader's Guide
The film is notable for its realistic depiction of space exploration, drawing inspiration from real footage from the International Space Station and Space Shuttle space walks. The depiction of Europa was based on data from NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory maps. The creature was designed to be bioluminescent, based on a cross of an octopus and a squid, with early sketches resembling a jellyfish and a manta ray. The film received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its realism and suspense. Rotten Tomatoes gave it 81% positive reviews, with the consensus calling it 'a slow-burning thriller that puts the science back into science fiction.' Metacritic assigned a score of 68 out of 100, indicating 'generally favorable' reviews. Space.com called it 'one of the most thrilling and realistic depictions of space exploration since Moon or 2001: A Space Odyssey.' The film was nominated for the Bradbury Award by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
Did You Know?
- The film is a found footage piece that follows a nonlinear progression.
- Weightlessness was simulated with balance balls and suspension from wires.
- The flooding ship was filmed on a one-third scale model.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Europa Report?
Europa Report is a 2013 American science fiction film presented in found-footage style that follows a fictional international crew on the first crewed mission to Jupiter's moon Europa. It was directed by Sebastián Cordero and written by Philip Gelatt.
Who directed and wrote Europa Report?
Sebastián Cordero helmed the film, while Philip Gelatt penned the screenplay. The project hit video-on-demand in late June 2013 and opened in theaters on August 2 of that year.
Who is in the cast of Europa Report?
The ensemble includes Christian Camargo, Anamaria Marinca, Michael Nyqvist, Daniel Wu, Karolina Wydra, and Sharlto Copley. The narrative is structured as a found-footage documentary of their multi-agency mission.
Why is Europa Report important to fans?
It stands out as one of the few feature-length films to center a human crewed mission to Europa, blending hard-scientific detail with a found-footage narrative format. Critics responded positively, with Rotten Tomatoes reporting 81% approval from 80 reviews.
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