The Wasteland Reviewer

Elevation (2024) Written Review

Are you ready for the latest in a long line of movie monsters to terrorize on screen? Kaiju has been such a significant presence in horror, science fiction, and action films for decades now that it is hard to find a fresh approach to them. There are iconic monsters like Godzilla and King Kong who still have plenty of screen time even in 2024, but filmmakers are always trying to find new monsters to get stuck in the heads of audiences. Elevation is a film coming your way from director George Nolfi about how humanity has been stuck in an elevated society after large monsters have wiped out much of the planet. 

What is the key to a successful monster flick? A great monster. Elevation features an interesting antagonist in the form of large indestructible beasts with non-descript tentacles, metal faces, and a general terror that follows along with them. The monsters are extremely fast (which opens plenty of chase sequences). There is also a mystery around them when it comes to their origins and how they can be killed. The revelations about all of that is not shocking per se…but it does deliver a “oh…that’s interesting” type of response. There is an interesting little detail about them upon their demise that feels inspired and makes for some cool moments towards the end of the film. 

What does Nolfi bring to the table when it comes to bringing Elevation to life? There are quite a few inspired and dynamic camera moments along the way. The wide shots are used well to capture scale and a sense of impending danger. The camera moves in aggressive ways to capture some POV elements of the monsters as well. But not everything is great on the technical end of things. You can tell the film is a bit limited when it comes to budget. Some of the effects and camera work feels right out of a Syfy original film (which is not the most pleasant thing to see on screen). There are also some elements in the town that feel awkward because you can tell they didn’t have enough money for extras. When you can feel the budgetary limitations on screen, that is not great. 

Does the film deliver on a story and character basis? For 90 minutes, this film feels quite lean. There is not a lot of fat on the screen play but some of the logic of the story isn’t quite there. Certain moments feel convenient for the sake of tension and suspense instead of what would make sense. There are a few fun set pieces like the ski lift and tunnels but most of the film is bland mountain landscape and bland tunnels and buildings. There is a good heart to the film with Anthony Mackie’s protagonist trying to get medicine for his son. The audience can get behind that. Morena Baccarin’s character is resourceful and talented in science (which certainly comes in handy in the film). Mackie is a solid lead here, but Baccarin brings real charisma and makes for the highlight of the film. Maddie Hasson follows along and makes for a charming third wheel (despite her fate being visible from miles away). There is plenty more potential story left when the credits roll but the plotting of this first film is quite cliché and predictable. 

Is Elevation the type of action thriller to run out to theaters to check out? If you love this science fiction and action subgenre, this has plenty of elements to enjoy. This is not a fresh take and the whole film feels a bit too predictable. But there is some solid heart and a few revelations that bring some emotion to the surface. Mackie and Baccarin make a talented dynamic duo to anchor this whole film together. You want a brisk bit of thrills, check out Elevation.