Directed By: Joe Carnahan

Written By: Joe Carnahan, Ian Mackenzie Jeffers

Starring: Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo, Dallas Roberts

R     1 h 57 min – Adventure | Drama | Thriller

As much as I enjoyed this movie, I’m going to keep it short because it really just needs to be seen.  It is a very simple movie, while somehow being emotionally complex, but I fear I’ll give too much away if I go too in depth here, so how about a basic overview?  Ottway (Neeson) is a skilled outdoorsman/huntsman who lives in Alaska.

From the minute you see him you can tell that Neeson is going to bring some classic badassness to the screen like if man vs. wild and Taken had a baby…yeah that sounds about right. Ottway and a handful of rugged oil workers get in a plane crash in Alaska. Very quickly they discover that the elements isn’t the only thing against them, but that they’re in wolf country and the wolves play for keeps.

They journey through the wilderness together battling the wolves with all they’ve got but the emotion of the film stems from the character’s back story and interaction with each other.  The development of each character was skillfully done, giving you just enough to keep you interested, but not so much that you leave feeling a soreness on your face from being slapped with cliché symbolism.  The recurring themes are played perfectly, leaving you in mystery but giving bits and pieces along the way.  Once it comes full circle and you realize what has been happening the whole time, whoa.  Now, the highlight of this thing was its ending.  If you’re in need of a film with a huge climax that’s equally powerful, cinematic and flat out epic then log on to Netflix and get yourself some.