Elevation
Talented trio elevates rote material.
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After this morning’s election results, being stuck up on a mountain with Morena Baccarin and a bunch of guns and booze doesn’t sound so bad … even if you’re under constant threat of being eaten by a monster. (Sweet relief!) Such is the scenario depicted in “Elevation” (in theaters Friday, Nov. 8).
Earth’s gone to hell in a handbasket and 95% of its population has perished at the claws and jaws of mysterious creatures that appeared out of nowhere.
A group of survivors comprised of Will (Anthony Mackie), his young son Hunter (Danny Boyd Jr.), cold-hearted scientist Nina (Baccarin) and the loyal Katie (Maddie Hasson) have sought refuge in the Rocky Mountains 8,000 feet above the surface.
For whatever reason the monsters can’t exceed an elevation of 8,000 feet. Will is forced to cross “The Line” when Hunter runs out of filters for his breathing apparatus. If Hunter doesn’t get these filters he’ll die. Aiding Will in his mission are Nina (whom he hates for getting his wife killed the previous year) and Katie (who was Will’s wife’s best friend and is hot to take her place).
“Elevation” is produced and directed by George Nolfi (this is his third movie with Mackie after “The Adjustment Bureau” and “The Banker”) and scripted by John Glenn (not the astronaut, but rather the dude who wrote the Shia LaBeouf vehicle “Eagle Eye”) as well as Jacob Roman and Kenny Ryan, with whom Glenn worked on the CBS/Paramount+ series “SEAL Team.”
It’s a simple story told fairly simply. It’s mostly a three-hander between Mackie, Baccarin and Hasson’s characters. All three performers are adept enough to sell the material. I especially enjoyed Baccarin’s work as the actress is playing something other than the sexpot parts with which she’s often saddled. Her Nina is broken-hearted, brainy and bitchy. The more we find out about Nina the more interesting she becomes and the better Baccarin’s performance gets.
“Elevation” was shot in Colorado on a modest $18 million budget. Nolfi and his cinematographer Shelly Johnson (Joe Johnston’s frequent lenser) deliver a fair amount of bang for the buck. The film’s centerpiece action sequence takes place on and around a ski lift and it’s appropriately visceral. The effects artists at Digital Domain and Crafty Apes created cool, albeit familiar, creatures too.
This familiarity stretches to the film itself. It’s produced by Brad Fuller and somewhat reminiscent of (but not nearly as good as) the “A Quiet Place” place pictures in which he had a hand. “Elevation” is a perfectly serviceable sci-fi action-thriller that’s elevated by its leads but not especially memorable … unlike this morning’s unfortunate election results.