Owen Gleiberman Chief Film CriticWhat’s the thing that a good movie director does? In a way, that’s a silly question, since good directors do a thousand things, and filmmakers are diverse creatures.
But in an age of freeze-dried blockbuster storytelling, it’s important to remind yourself that a good director leads you through a story step by step, moment by moment, always creating an honest immersion out of human dynamics.Joe Penna is that kind of director.
He’s a natural; whatever “it” is, he’s got it. “Stowaway” is only his second feature, and like his first, “Arctic” (2018), which starred Mads Mikkelsen as an explorer stranded in the frozen wilderness, it’s a tale of survival in extreme circumstances.
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