Voyagers (film)
A 2021 sci-fi thriller about suppressed emotions in space.
Voyagers is a 2021 science fiction thriller film written, co-produced and directed by Neil Burger. It follows a group of teenage astronauts sent on a multi-generational mission in 2065 to colonize a habitable exoplanet, who descend into paranoia and conflict after discovering their emotions were being artificially suppressed. The film was a box office bomb, grossing US$4.2 million against a $29 million budget.
- Release date
- April 9, 2021
- Director
- Neil Burger
- Production budget
- $29 million
- Box office
- $4.2 million
- Runtime
- Not specified in article
- Distributor
- Lionsgate
Lore & Background
The film is set in 2065, where astrophysicists on a climate change-ravaged Earth find a habitable planet. A 30-person crew, bred through IVF using genius donors and raised in isolation, is launched as preadolescents on the spaceship Humanitas, joined by adult commander Richard. During the tenth year of flight, crew members Christopher and Zac discover a chemical in the food that suppresses sex drive and pleasure, keeping them docile. They stop taking it, leading to surging hormones, competition, and sexual tensions.
Reader's Guide
Voyagers received mixed to negative reviews, with a 24% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 44 out of 100. Critics noted its premise was ripe with potential but criticized it for not fully exploring its themes, with one reviewer calling it 'Lord of the Flies meets Sex Education in space.' The film was significantly delayed from its original November 2020 release due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it performed poorly at the box office, opening with $1.4 million in its first weekend.
Did You Know?
- The film was originally scheduled for release on November 25, 2020, but was delayed to April 9, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Quintessa Swindell made their film debut in Voyagers.
- The film's budget was $29 million, but it grossed only $4.2 million worldwide.
- The plot involves a chemical added to food that suppresses sex drive and pleasure to keep the crew docile.
More in Teen science fiction films 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record