Reviews

Aniara

Reviewed by Vaughan Ames

Imagine if you will, that Earth is being evacuated due to climate change... or nuclear war; it matters not. The vast spaceship being used to transport thousands to Mars leaves Earth behind, but is then knocked of course and left without power by a collision. All those aboard are let drifting, hoping to come across a planet they can 'slingshot' around and head back...but this doesn't happen.

This was the fate of the spaceship Aniara, leaving those on board to do... what? The ship has everything they can need to survive, so many just go about their everyday lives as though this was their new home. Others panic and some commit suicide; there is a rise in religious cults; a lot of sex! Pretty much, in fact, what is happening on Earth, where we are marooned, drifting in space, after all.

For me, this was the best point of the film: humans adapt in their own way to what is thrown at them. Many on board spent their time helping others – growing food, teaching the children, providing entertainment. Others couldn't cope so well.

The weak point of the film to me was that, in trying to cover many years, the detail inevitably went missing and events became more farfetched. So, for instance, our main character fell in love at first sight with a fellow female officer and spent 3 years yearning for her from afar. Suddenly, they were together, in love, with virtually no introduction. Even worse, a mysterious object was spotted, 14 months away which they managed to bring aboard; what it was, or where it came from, or how they captured it no-one explained. Like most Sci-fi, then, the best bits were the human interactions...