STOWAWAY

US, 2021, 93 minutes, Colour.

Ruby Rose, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Frank Grillo, Luis De Silva junior.

Directed by Declan Whitebloom.

This is an action thriller which many would describe as “generic”. It is not unfamiliar material but, nevertheless, provides passing entertainment for a wide audience.

The star of the film is Australian Ruby Rose, not all that popular with some audiences, a lot of hostility from bloggers. However, here she is as an action star.

Focus is on the father-daughter relationship, devoted father, the little girl almost drowning, but her father disappearing, her growing up with a criminal group, finding herself in prison – then the passing of years, seen trying to steal a motorbike but then informed that she has inherited a luxury boat from her father. She goes to the boat, encounters a young man at the bar, is not supposed to be on the boat, some thugs come and kill the security guard at the harbour, are searching for money in a safe, forcing the captain of the ship to take them out to sea. The young man escapes but is shot. The rest of the film is the young woman using her wits, helped by the captain, signalling for the Coast Guard who come but find no evidence, her escaping with the captain in a lifeboat.

The audiences see veteran action star, Frank Grillo, giving the news to the young woman about her boat then disappearing. It quickly emerges that he is the chief villain, controlling the thugs, aiming to confront the young woman to find out about $80 million which her father had taken back from Grillo and his thugs – but, ironically, had given it all away to those in need.

Happy ending, of course, the young man wounded, calling the Coast Guard, the rescue, the boat blown up, the young woman giving a lot of the money to the sick daughter of the captain who saved her life.

Generic, yes, 90 minutes of action for the wider audience.