The Travelers

September 15, 2014
Tragedy wrestles hope in this philosophically rich hybrid of genres. Time travel and alien visitation tropes are refreshed by empathetic characters fighting internal ghosts as well as confronting otherworldly visitors. Severely depressed filmmaker Guy encounters echoes of the mystical as he talks with recently separated spouses Jim and Jessica Bennett aboard the retired ship Queen Mary. Morse code sent from WWII—and a naked alien’s plea—sends Guy on an epic journey of grief, as Jessica and Jim confess to raising two extraterrestrial children whose deaths destroyed their marriage. Who will deliver the news to their other-dimensional mother? Love, both strong and faltering, resonates through this complex speculative tragedy of loss and redemption, which is strengthened by complex plotting and rich dialogue, though the rushed conclusion dilutes the emotional payoff. This mystical paean to parental love is sure to appeal to fans of both romance and science fiction.