Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence’s unexpected space romance is back in the spotlight — here’s why Passengers is trending on Prime Video
The 2016 sci-fi romance Passengers is getting a second life on Prime Video, and viewers can’t stop talking about it. After years of quiet, the star-powered space drama has re-entered the top 10 list on Prime Video in the U.S., pulling in curious audiences with its emotional twists, big visuals, and a controversial love story.
Directed by Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game), Passengers pairs two of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, in a high-concept story set aboard a luxury spacecraft bound for a distant colony planet. The film may not have broken records when it first released, but it’s now finding new attention in the streaming world.
Stream Passengers now on Prime Video.
What is Passengers about?
Set in a future where humans are migrating to another planet, Passengers follows Jim Preston (Chris Pratt), one of 5,000 passengers aboard the starship Avalon. Everyone is in suspended animation for a 120-year journey, until a malfunction causes Jim’s pod to open 90 years too early.
Alone and desperate for connection, Jim faces the horrifying reality of living out his life in total isolation. After a year of solitude, he makes a morally complicated decision: he wakes up another passenger, Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence), a writer from New York.
As the two bond and fall in love, secrets unravel and the ship faces a deeper crisis that threatens everyone on board. With only a few awake, they must work together to save the Avalon, and their fragile relationship.
The cast also features Michael Sheen as Arthur, a charming android bartender, Laurence Fishburne as a crew member who wakes up unexpectedly, and Andy Garcia in a brief role as the ship’s captain.
The star-powered sci-fi romance Passengers is making waves again on Prime Video
With a storyline that mixes romance, sci-fi, and ethical dilemmas, Passengers has sparked debate since day one, and it’s likely the reason why it’s getting attention again.
Chris Pratt brings his usual likability and humor to the role of Jim, making the character’s tough choices feel more human. Jennifer Lawrence delivers a strong emotional performance as Aurora, showcasing both vulnerability and strength. Together, they have the kind of chemistry that keeps you watching, even when the story takes darker turns.
Visually, the film is stunning. From the sleek spaceship interiors to the breathtaking spacewalk sequences, Passengers is filled with impressive visuals that still hold up. Director Morten Tyldum, along with cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (The Irishman), crafts a glossy, high-budget world that looks great on modern home screens.
Produced by Stephen Hamel, Michael Maher, Neal Moritz, and Ori Marmur, the movie combines romance and survival with a stylish sci-fi edge. While it received mixed reviews at release, many viewers are now revisiting it with fresh eyes.
A second chance for a polarizing film
Passengers currently holds a 30% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, but the audience score tells a different story, sitting at 63%. That gap speaks to how the film resonated with regular viewers more than critics, especially those drawn in by the romance and visual spectacle.
It’s not a perfect movie. The ethical question at the heart of the plot has sparked plenty of debate, and the story’s pacing isn’t for everyone. But there’s something compelling about two lonely people trying to make the best of an impossible situation in the middle of deep space.
With most of Prime Video’s trending list filled with generic thrillers and forgettable action flicks, Passengers stands out for its ambition, star power, and striking design. It’s a rare blend of sci-fi, romance, and drama that still gets people talking, and now it’s easier than ever to revisit.
So if you’re scrolling through Prime Video looking for something different, something that combines love, loneliness, and the vast emptiness of space, Passengers might be worth your time.