Almost a decade after it was declared “dead on arrival” by critics, the sci-fi romance Passengers is proving that in the world of streaming, there’s no such thing as a final curtain call.
The film, which stars Hollywood heavyweights Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, has officially blasted off into the HBO Max global Top charts. Despite a rocky theatrical debut and an icy reception from reviewers, audiences worldwide are rediscovering the sleek space drama and giving it a second—or third—chance.
It’s a massive plot twist for a movie that currently holds a dismal % critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. At the time of its release, one reviewer bizarrely dubbed it “Titanic amongst the stars,” a nod to its doomed-romance-in-a-crisis formula. While it never quite reached Titanic levels of box office glory, the internet is officially buzzing about it again.
On platforms like TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), the film’s resurgence has reignited a heated debate that has followed the movie since : Is it a romantic masterpiece, or is it just plain “creepy”?
For those who need a refresher, Passengers follows Jim (Pratt), a mechanical engineer on a -year voyage to a new planet who is accidentally awakened from hibernation years too early. Facing a lifetime of solitude, Jim makes the controversial decision to wake up a fellow passenger, Aurora (Lawrence), effectively condemning her to live out her life on the ship without her consent.
“I forgot how messed up the premise of Passengers is,” one user recently posted on X, sparking a thread with thousands of likes. “But honestly, the chemistry between Pratt and Lawrence is so good I almost forgive it.”
Another fan on TikTok shared a clip of the film’s stunning production design, writing, “Critics really did this movie dirty. It’s gorgeous and the moral dilemma is fascinating!”
That moral dilemma is exactly what director Morten Tyldum and writer Jon Spaihts (Dune) were aiming for. The film leans heavily on the immense charisma of its leads, supported by a scene-stealing turn from Michael Sheen as Arthur, the ship’s android bartender.
While critics found the genre-bending mix of slow-burn romance and high-stakes action “jarring,” everyday viewers have always been more forgiving. The film maintains a much higher % audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, proving that the public’s appetite for high-concept, star-driven spectacles hasn’t faded.
The film is also bolstered by a haunting score by Thomas Newman and breathtaking cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto, making it the perfect “background watch” for the streaming era.
Whether you view it as a philosophical character study or a controversial space thriller, one thing is certain: Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence still have the power to command an audience, even from years in the future.
Passengers is available to stream now on HBO Max.
