Snowpiercer (2013)

Snowpiercer

• Bong Joon-Ho continues to amaze me. As I go through his filmography, I try my best to not know anything about his films, and let me tell you, that’s the right path to go. Going into this one, all I was expecting was an action film with Chris Evans, and of course, something involving snow. That’s it. That’s all I knew. As I watched it, every scene adds some kind of detail and suspense that keeps you fueled until the very end, which leaves you with a big question mark. That’s the best kind of buildup and ending. I love the dystopian feel, which reminded me a lot of series like ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Maze Runner’. It’s the same kind of bleak, soulless, hardcore vibe. Which is a good segue into how Bong continues using themes of social class and authoritarian powers to craft something exciting. I’m truly, truly amazed how he’s able to use such themes subtly, while still being an extremely strong presence. Like, you can see where he’s coming from, very obviously, but it’s not in your face. You get so into the film that you recognize the storytelling around you, while still having a good time. You don’t have to think too hard about the themes, they just naturally fill the screen without beating you over the head. Well done Bong. Such a great story with great characters. The acting was awesome, especially from Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, and Ed Harris. From the Chris Evans action movies I’ve seen, a lot of them have been cringey and corny. But his performance in this one is great. Not only physically, but emotionally. Especially the last thirty minutes, where he can really showcase a more emotional range, rather than some quick, witty lines. Overall, this film is extremely well made, with great action, great acting, great production design, and just great everything. I would definitely recommend it to all action/sci-fi fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!