Elevation (2024) Review: A Briskly Paced Post-Apocalyptic Action Thriller

Elevation reunites George Nolfi and Anthony Mackie, marking their third collaboration after The Adjustment Bureau and The Banker. In this post-apocalyptic action thriller, the movie boasts an intriguing concept: Humankind is on the brink of extinction after monstrous predators known as Reapers emerged from below the surface and depopulated them exponentially. Only a handful of survivors make it to safety on the higher ground. Or more specifically, an elevation above 8,000 feet because these monsters somehow stop attacking the humans for unknown reasons.

Among the survivors is Will (Anthony Mackie), a single father who lives with his 8-year-old son Hunter (Danny Boyd Jr.) in the elevated community town called Lost Gulch Refuge. However, his son has a lung issue and relies heavily on the oxygen machine to help him with his breathing. When the filters eventually run out, Will’s only choice is to risk going down the mountain to get a fresh supply. The supply in question can be found in the city hospital in Boulder.

Joining him on a dangerous mission is Nina (Morena Baccarin), a scientist who used to be close with Will’s late wife Tara (Rachel Nicks). His wife ends up dead in the hands of Reapers as a result of accompanying Nina on an ill-fated expedition. Then, there’s Katie (Maddie Hasson) who also joins Will and Nina in a journey to get Will’s supplies.

The first thing in my mind upon watching Elevation is A Quiet Place-like premise, where the near-extinct world is now inhabited by monsters and the remaining survivors need to know a certain rule to stay alive. Whereas John Krasinski’s acclaimed sci-fi thriller revolves around a group of characters who refrain from making noise to avoid detection, the survivors in Elevation require them to stay put above 8,000 feet.

Of course, there wouldn’t be a movie to begin with if these characters remained in their comfort zone. Something has to happen and that’s when Will’s aforementioned mission takes place. The kind of forced circumstances since there’s no other alternative to help Will’s son’s condition. This leads to a few thrilling set pieces, one of which includes the ski lift sequence, showcasing Nolfi’s flair in staging palpable action and tension even equipped with just US$18 million budget at his disposal.

It also helps the movie run at a reasonably brisk 90-minute long since Elevation is pretty much about a survival thriller getting from point A to B, albeit with a few setbacks on their way down. The movie still relies on exposition but not in the way it drags the momentum considerably to the point it feels heavy-handed. I’m glad the movie is shot in a crisp visual style, allowing you to see what’s going on the screen minus the annoyingly indecipherable camerawork.

The cast, notably Anthony Mackie and Morena Baccarin deliver decent performances that are sufficient enough for such a genre movie, even though I can’t help but wish Nolfi could have elevated (no pun intended) the father-and-son dynamics between Will and Hunter earlier in the movie. The giant insect-like creature design is nothing new but Nolfi’s insistence in merging practical effects with CGI is at least worth mentioning here. He also uses these creatures sparingly and effectively in a less-is-more approach and this can be seen during the climactic third act set in a hospital as Will and Nina try to survive the Reaper’s attack as it rips through the walls to shreds.

The movie equally deserves praise for shooting the movie on location in the Colorado Mountains, resulting in some stunning vistas from Shelly Johnson’s cinematography. Elevation ends with a mid-credits scene, suggesting there’s a potential sequel to come. After all, we don’t learn much about the origin of the Reapers and frankly, there are more angles to cover in the future.