Released: 29th January 2021 (Netflix)
Length: 106 Minutes
Certificate: 18
Director: Lluís Quílez
Starring: Javier Gutiérrez as Martín, Karra Elejalde, Luis Callejo and Patrick Criado
Fittingly released at a time when the chilly weather is starting to bite, the contained thriller Below Zero (known as Bajocero in Spain) is a modest, yet determined production that makes good use of several elements.
In rural Spain, Officer Martin (Javier Gutiérrez) and his colleague Montesinos (Isak Férriz) are set to move prisoners from one penitentiary to the other. What starts off as a simple prison transfer turns into something far more sinister as the truck is hijacked. Locked inside the vehicle and with no clue where they’re going, the lone officer and the inmates are caught in a desperate struggle for survival. Why is this mysterious stranger (played by Karra Elejalde) so intent on hijacking the prison truck? Why is he willing to murder law enforcement to do it? This is the thriller’s main hook and it does a reasonable job of pulling you in; what it can’t do however is make up for a rather lacklustre first act. It’s a very standard and unremarkable opening that relies too heavily on common cop clichés. Once the truck ventures into the forest however, things pick up. The cold is just as great a danger as it consumes the vehicle’s interior and enhances the sense of isolation; as the tension mounts and motives are revealed, Below Zero presses towards a vicious climax.
Running off a fairly minimal cast, Below Zero’s characters end up ranging from decent to very underused. In the leading role is Javier Gutiérrez who does a good job portraying Martin. In spite of the characters falling into the regular archetypes of good-natured officer and spiteful criminal, the two sides are forced to work together to survive the harrowing encounter. One of the more devious crooks, Ramos, is well played by Luis Callejo and slowly forms more respect between himself and Martin. This isn’t the case for every side character; some of the inmates don’t have much impact on things, getting killed off as the plot proceeds. Below Zero could have gone deeper with these dramatic tensions, pitting everyone and their motives against each other. As it stands, only four members of the cast are worth getting invested in; the other criminals rely too heavily on individual gimmicks.
Making the most of its smaller scale, Below Zero’s setting is its greatest strength; most of the movie takes place inside the prison truck and it’s a very well-established layout. The filmmakers really make the most of the design with the cells and underside of the truck coming into play. Things get really claustrophobic when the prison truck is sunk in an icy lake; thanks to the genuine sense of fear from the actors and the tight cinematography, the panic of the sequence pierces through. It’s then followed up by a grisly final encounter that relies on some solid practical effects and set-work to distance the third act from civilized society. While it’s not bursting with blood, the gory results that unfold still look and sound incredibly nasty. All the way through, the camerawork is strong and the soundtrack is effectively chilling, a great match for the narrative that unfolds.
While it suffers from a rather plodding opening and some lacking character choices, Below Zero’s second half really makes an impression; with its high tension and gruesome set-pieces, it makes the most of its contained setting and inches itself above forgettable territory.
Rating: 3/5 Stars (Fair)
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