Voyagers (2021)

Neil Burger’s Voyagers (2021) is a sci-fi thriller that combines elements of Lord of the Flies with space colonization drama. It asks unsettling questions about human nature, leadership, and survival when rules are stripped away in an isolated environment. Let’s go deep into the details.

Detailed Summary

Humanity’s Plan for Survival

The story is set in the near future, where Earth is facing climate collapse. Humanity builds a massive spacecraft to colonize a new planet. Since the journey will take over 80 years, the mission crew is engineered and raised in isolation. They are meant to reproduce so that their grandchildren can arrive on the new world.

Life Under Control

The young crew members are raised to be obedient, emotionless, and free of strong desires. To ensure this, they are given a daily substance called “the Blue,” which suppresses emotions and impulses. Among them are Christopher (Tye Sheridan), Sela (Lily-Rose Depp), and Zac (Fionn Whitehead), who will become central to the story.

Rebellion Against the System

Christopher and Zac discover that “the Blue” is a chemical control agent, not a vital supplement. They stop taking it, and soon, others follow. With their emotions unleashed, the crew begins to feel fear, lust, anger, and joy for the first time. The calm order dissolves into chaos.

The Death of the Leader

The mission’s adult supervisor, Richard (Colin Farrell), dies in an accident, leaving the young crew without guidance. With no authority figure, Zac and Christopher begin to clash. Christopher tries to uphold responsibility and duty, while Zac thrives on power and fear.

Descent into Violence

Zac manipulates others into believing there’s an alien threat onboard. This lie fuels paranoia, leading the group to follow him as he becomes a self-declared leader. Violence erupts, and a battle of wills unfolds between Zac’s authoritarian rule and Christopher’s push for order.

Movie Ending

The climax builds when Zac pushes the group to eliminate anyone who challenges him. He corners Sela and Christopher, determined to cement his control. In the final confrontation, Christopher and Sela manage to overpower Zac, resulting in his death—symbolically ending his reign of fear.

After Zac’s fall, the remaining crew faces the aftermath of chaos. Sela and Christopher step up as leaders, guiding the others toward a new balance. The group chooses to move forward with cooperation, understanding their survival depends on unity rather than domination.

The film closes with them finally seeing their destination planet, a hopeful note that contrasts with the despair of their earlier spiral into violence.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, Voyagers does not feature any post-credits scenes. Once the ending wraps, the story is fully concluded, leaving no teasers or hints for a sequel.

Type of Movie

This is a sci-fi thriller with psychological drama, often described as Lord of the Flies in space. It explores morality, power struggles, and the primal instincts lurking beneath controlled environments.

Cast

• Tye Sheridan as Christopher
• Lily-Rose Depp as Sela
• Fionn Whitehead as Zac
• Colin Farrell as Richard
• Chanté Adams as Phoebe
• Viveik Kalra as Peter

Film Music and Composer

The music was composed by Trevor Gureckis, whose score leans into tense, pulsating sounds that emphasize paranoia and claustrophobia. The soundtrack mirrors the crew’s descent from sterile order into primal chaos.

Filming Locations

Voyagers was filmed in Romania, primarily at Castel Film Studios near Bucharest. The studio setting was crucial for building the spaceship interiors—tight, sterile corridors that heighten the feeling of confinement and pressure. The choice of location allowed for complete design control over the claustrophobic environment.

Awards and Nominations

The film didn’t receive major award recognition, but it was noted in some circles for its production design and psychological themes. Critics were divided, with some praising its premise and others calling it too derivative of earlier works.

Behind the Scenes Insights

• Neil Burger described the film as an exploration of “what happens when civilization’s rules fall away.”
• The cast spent time together in isolation to build chemistry and mirror the characters’ enclosed experience.
• Colin Farrell was brought in partly to give the younger actors a grounding presence both on-screen and off-screen.
• Many scenes were shot in extremely narrow sets to emphasize tension and limit movement, which physically challenged the actors.

Inspirations and References

The story draws heavily from William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies but places it in a futuristic sci-fi setting. It also echoes elements of 2001: A Space Odyssey and Gattaca, both in visual style and in its questions about control, evolution, and destiny.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

There are no widely revealed alternate endings, but early drafts reportedly leaned even darker, with a bleaker outcome for the crew. Several minor scenes involving extended interactions between crew members were trimmed to maintain pacing.

Book Adaptations and Differences

Unlike many sci-fi movies, Voyagers is not based on a novel. Instead, it is an original screenplay by Neil Burger. Its similarities to Lord of the Flies are thematic rather than direct adaptations.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

• The discovery that “the Blue” is not necessary for survival.
• Richard’s death, leaving the young crew without authority.
• Zac’s manipulation of the crew with fear of an alien.
• The violent final fight between Zac and Christopher.
• The crew finally seeing their destination planet.

Iconic Quotes

• Richard: “You’re the future.”
• Christopher: “We can’t let fear control us.”
• Zac: “Out here, no one tells us what to do.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

• The sterile blue-and-white design of the spaceship subtly mirrors the drug “the Blue,” suggesting control through environment as well as chemistry.
• The ship’s mission echoes real-world discussions of multi-generational space travel.
• The ending planet is left intentionally vague, focusing the story on human nature rather than colonization details.

Trivia

• The entire movie was shot during the COVID-19 pandemic’s early waves, giving the cast an oddly real sense of isolation.
• Neil Burger originally considered a much older cast before deciding that a youthful group would better mirror the Lord of the Flies dynamic.
• Tye Sheridan was also a lead in Ready Player One—another film about young people confronting an artificial environment.

Why Watch?

Watch Voyagers if you enjoy psychological sci-fi that blends space survival with human nature’s darker instincts. It’s not just about space travel—it’s about what happens when structure disappears and raw instincts take over.

Director’s Other Movies

• Limitless (2011)
• The Illusionist (2006)
• The Upside (2017)
• Divergent (2014)

Recommended Films for Fans

• Lord of the Flies (1963 or 1990 versions)
• The Hunger Games (2012)
• Snowpiercer (2013)
• High Life (2018)
• Ready Player One (2018)
• The Platform (2019)