Elevation (2024)

Elevation (2024)

 

3/10

Starring          

Anthony Mackie

Morena Baccarin

Maddie Hasson

 

Directed by George Nolfi

 

Movies like to make us feel we can survive alien attacks, even when those aliens are far more advanced in technology. This movie attempts to explore that concept, with no originality. The movie is derivative and boring, making it hard for me to recommend.

While the acting is good, the pacing of the movie is off. A lot of times, I felt the movie was just dragging things because the writers had nothing to add.

I spent the first 30 minutes at the beginning begging for something to happen. But sadly, it was just lacking any form of momentum. In addition to this, the film seems to neglect important plot details, leaving me confused. I, for one, cannot wrap my head around the way Nina came up with the idea of using magnesium to fight the aliens is never properly explained. It’s a plot point that could have been developed more clearly.

The plot centres on an Earth that’s been ravaged by sinkholes. These holes have unleashed creatures known as Reapers that wiped out most of the human race. The survivors live in high altitude colonies. As they discovered that the aliens are unable to go beyond any point that is 8,000 feet and above. The reason for this is not shared. Will (Anthony Mackie), lives in one of these colonies with his son, Hunter, who is suffering from a life-threatening lung disease.

The main plot begins when Hunter, seeking distraction from his loneliness, ventures out of the safety of the colony and is pursued by a Reaper. He makes it by crossing the line, which designates where the 8000 feet and above starts.

We then see that Hunter’s illness is getting worse and Will, desperate to find more medicine for his son, seeks help from Nina. Nina was with Will’s wife when she died. Nina agrees to join Will on his journey due to her lingering guilt over his wife’s death. Together with one of Will’s friends, they set out on a mission to find a research lab so they can get medicine and go by Nina lab, where Will hopes Nina can still find a way to kill these aliens. To reach the lab, they plan to use old mining tunnels that Will is familiar with from his past as a miner.

The idea of using old mining tunnels as a means of survival could have made for an intriguing journey, but it played into the realm of, “I have seen this before.” As you can guess, they get cornered, and from here the film dulls the overall experience.

In the end, I doubt this movie will get the sequel, as it doesn’t seem to have made enough of an impact at the global box office.

Not worth wasting your time to see it.