Tension piles up in snowy survival thriller
Regular readers of this site may know that I have an affinity for survival pictures. The terrific Mads Mikkelsen vehicle Arctic was number one on my Top 10 list last year, and over the past few years I’ve also enjoyed Adrift, Walking Out, The Mountain Between Us, and Everest. The latest entry to earn my approval is Centigrade, the first feature from television director/writer Brendan Walsh (Nurse Jackie) and his co-writer Daley Nixon. That this novice duo has created such a taut, tightly constructed film bodes well for their future cinematic projects.
Real life couple Vincent Piazza (Boardwalk Empire) and Genesis Rodriguez (Quibi’s The Fugitive) star as Matt and Naomi, a married American couple who have travelled to Norway in the heart of winter for a stop on Naomi’s book tour. Naomi happens to be eight months pregnant, and the film wastes no time presenting their predicament: in the opening scene, after a fierce snowstorm, the couple awakens inside their completely buried, iced-over SUV on the side of a desolate road. The snow and ice have entirely trapped them, and they can’t escape until the weather warms. How and why they’ve ended up in this perilous situation is revealed during the course of the film, as the pair struggle to stay alive and await uncertain rescue. Within the first five minutes, you find yourself thinking, “Wow, that’s unbelievable… what a crazy story.”
In a bit of dramatic license disguised as truth, however, Walsh begins his film by stating that it’s “inspired by actual events”, and ends with a postscript about the current lives of the characters depicted. You’d be forgiven, then, for thinking you’re watching a dramatic biopic, but before you try to Google “Matt and Naomi Norway”, be advised that, in actuality, Walsh has said he pulled the idea from ten or so different survival stories. “Matt” and “Naomi” don’t really exist, but represent composites of various true incidents. For Bay Area viewers, the film may be most reminiscent of the 2007 story of CNET reporter James Kim, who, in December of that year, became lost seeking help while his wife and children were stranded in their car in a snowy Oregon forest.
Regardless of their story’s origins, though, Walsh and Nixon do a stellar job putting us right in the car with Matt and Naomi. We viscerally feel their claustrophobia, panic, and fear. Part of the fun (or maybe “terror” is a better word) of survival pictures like these is that, as viewers, we can imagine ourselves in the situation on screen and wonder, what would we do? Would we behave the same way? Are Matt and Naomi making the right decisions? Would we make the same mistakes, and the same judgment calls? I found myself yelling out loud at the screen more than once, getting mad at some of Matt and Naomi’s choices. Centigrade is a truly immersive experience, and if you’re looking for something to take you out of your pandemic, stay-at-home daily routine, this film will transport you utterly.
Besides having crafted a top-notch “will they make it!?” thriller, Walsh and Nixon have also made a sly relationship drama. That stars Piazza and Rodriguez are engaged in real life only adds to the narrative’s verisimilitude, as we watch Matt and Naomi’s dynamic play out. Anyone who’s ever argued with a significant other about who’s at fault for an unfavorable outcome will no doubt nod along with both Matt and Naomi at different moments. Their arguments, which entail blame, recrimination, and dredging up past wounds and missteps, echo the similarly raw authenticity found in Noah Baumbach’s searing Marriage Story.
Piazza and Rodriguez acquit themselves well in what is essentially a two-person drama. They hold the screen and our attention, and allow us to feel like a fly on the wall (er, car window) as we root and worry for them. And I’ll leave you with this: after watching this film, next time you pull your car out of your garage, I guarantee you’ll first double check to make sure your emergency kit is well-stocked.
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Centigrade is available today on digital platforms (Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play, Vudu, DirecTV, Xfinity, and Spectrum) and select drive-in movie theaters.
https://youtu.be/4rWDXMXmwrk
