Stowaway: Why Zoe Had To Be The One Who [SPOILER]

WARNING: there are SPOILERS ahead for Stowaway.

In Stowaway, why does Zoe Levenson (Anna Kendrick) sacrifice her life? Directed and co-written by Joe Penna, the 2021 Netflix movie ends with the medical researcher exposing herself to radiation while retrieving an oxygen tank that will save her astronaut colleagues. Stowaway doesn’t blatantly explain Zoe’s logic, but her fateful decision is indeed foreshadowed through subtextual moments.

Stowaway begins with a close-up visual of Zoe as she begins a two-year mission to Mars. The opening sequence establishes the character as the primary protagonist, and then introduces the other members of the MTS-42 crew: commander Maria Barnett (Toni Collette) and biologist David Kim (Daniel Dae Kim). When a lifeless stowaway named Michael (Shamier Anderson) is discovered, Zoe attempts to maintain order on the vessel and uses her medical skills to save the fourth passenger’s life. Unfortunately, Michael inadvertently destroys a carbon dioxide scrubber, which results in a lack of oxygen for the entire crew. During a climactic moment in the Netflix 2021 movie, Zoe volunteers to retrieve an oxygen tank to save her fellow crew members, fully knowing that she will die from radiation exposure in the process.

Zoe sacrifices her life in Stowaway because of her spiritual faith and belief in the mission. At the 31-minute mark, she teases her fellow Ivy League graduate, David, about potentially having to share research credit with the stowaway, Michael. When he doesn’t seem to mind, Zoe replies with “You’re a better person than I am” — an egotistical line that implies she’s most invested in academic credentials, perhaps the result of her Yale education. However, Stowaway highlights Zoe’s true nature midway through the 2021 movie, as she urges her crew members not to “give up” on Michael. She then meets with Anderson’s character and delivers a moving monologue that thematically links to her climactic decision. Zoe attempts to comfort Michael by telling a personal anecdote about having faith in the face of adversity, specifically how she was once saved by a random person while attempting to rescue a drowning man. By the end of Stowaway, Zoe is guided by faith and the principle of paying it forward.

Two minutes after Zoe’s faith-themed monologue in Stowaway, a confrontational scene further explains why she ultimately chooses to sacrifice her life. After Daniel learns that the crew will try to save Michael at all costs, he betrays his fellow astronauts by revealing the truth to the stowaway — and even breaks into Zoe’s medical cabinet to offer a painless death plan via lethal injection. Naturally, this concerns Kendrick’s character, and she confronts Daniel about it. The moment links back to their previous conversation about sharing medical research, with Kim’s character now revealing himself to be fully invested in his academic pursuits instead of saving a human life. “What have YOU done?” Daniel snarls at her — a moment that heavily foreshadows Zoe’s sacrifice in Stowaway‘s ending.

In subtle moments, Stowaway fully explains Zoe’s final actions. She’s a woman of faith, and her academic rivalry with Daniel also plays a role in her decision, evidenced by the aforementioned confrontation. Barnett can’t retrieve the tank because she needs to command the vessel, and Michael just doesn’t have enough experience for an extravehicular mission. So, either Zoe and David have to sacrifice themselves in the end, and the film’s subtextual dialogue sets up Zoe to be the one to step up. In fact, the opening shot visually links to the final sequence, only the camera moves in opposite directions. Stowaways begins by highlighting Zoe’s perseverance, and the Netflix movie ends by revealing her true nature and faith in humanity.

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Q.V. Hough
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Q.V. Hough is a senior writer at Screen Rant. He’s also the founding editor at Vague Visages, and has contributed to RogerEbert.com and Fandor.

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