ELEVATION (2024)

SYNOPSIS: Set in the post-apocalyptic Rocky Mountains, a single father and two women venture from the safety of their homes to face monstrous creatures to save the life of a young boy.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Before you see Anthony Mackie picking up the famous vibranium shield, he plays Will, a dedicated father living in an apocalyptic world in Elevation.

You probably have seen Elevation somewhere or somehow. Even the poster reminds you it’s from the producer of A Quiet Place. In this version, the world is destroyed by massive insectoid monsters dubbed “The Reapers” and the remaining humans have to stay above 8,000 ft in elevation in order to survive. 


As Will’s son needs medical supplies, he recruits scientist Nina (Morena Baccarin) and his wife’s best friend Katie (Maddie Hasson) to go along a dangerous mission to Boulder, Colorado to retrieve more oxygen filters. Expectedly, the reapers await them.

Elevation is a serviceable monster movie neither making a lasting impression nor rises above the average apocalyptic disaster/monster movie. The first 15 minutes is all it takes to summarise the characters’ motives and backstories before the onslaught begins. Anyway to be fair, the majority of the audiences are here for the adrenalin and threatening creatures.

Thus director George Nolfi (The Adjustment Bureau, The Banker) in his third collaboration with Mackie delivers a thrilling cable car set piece with the rest of the action sequences which are set in a mine and building being forgettable CGI explosions and chases. It has been mentioned that the creatures are immune to conventional gunfire so we are not sure what is the purpose of firing endless rounds of ammunition at them since it doesn’t kill them or hurt them the slightest bit.

The production design on the whole looks cheap and under budget. Even with the apocalypse which started three years ago, everywhere the trio went, the buildings and facilities seem like it’s just been abandoned not so long ago. At least on the bright side, the rocky mountains are beautifully lensed by Shelly Johnson.

There is no specific reason to explain why the reapers can’t reach an altitude of 8000 with a supposedly big twist in the end making things even more ludicrous. As with any other creature feature, there’s a hint of a sequel during the mid credits. Let’s see if anyone is keen to see Mackie back in the role of Will. I suspect the prospect is very dim indeed.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee