Anthony Mackie, a talented actor who has steadily risen to prominence in Hollywood, is set to make an even bigger splash with his upcoming role in Captain America: Brave New World, releasing in February.
This new project has the potential to take his career to new heights, but before fans get to see him wielding a shield, he stars in the monster thriller Elevation, directed by George Nolfi, known for his work on The Adjustment Bureau and The Banker.
Alongside Mackie is Morena Baccarin, who is no stranger to blockbuster films, particularly within the superhero genre. However, despite these two impressive leads, Elevation ultimately fails to deliver the high-stakes thrills audiences expect from a monster movie.
While many recent films in the post-apocalyptic genre have found success, Elevation does not stand out as one of them. The movie is part of a trend of thrillers following in the footsteps of A Quiet Place (2018), a movie that set the bar for monster films featuring intense survival elements.
But where A Quiet Place successfully built tension and a compelling story, Elevation struggles to find its footing. It relies heavily on familiar tropes, predictable plot points, and underdeveloped characters. As a result, the film quickly becomes forgettable, with little to offer in terms of original storytelling or lasting impact.
The Story of Elevation
Some of the best monster movies are those that come with an intriguing hook. A Quiet Place had its unique twist where making a sound could get you killed by deadly aliens with superhuman hearing. Tremors (1990) created tension by making the ground itself dangerous, with giant worms attacking anyone who moved on the earth’s surface. Elevation tries to build on this idea with a similar, albeit less interesting, premise.
The film begins three years after an apocalyptic event when giant monsters emerged from the earth and began killing humans. These creatures seem nearly unstoppable, with their armored bodies making them impervious to conventional weapons. The monsters don’t touch animals, though, and scenes show horses and buffalo thriving in the wild. This could have been a unique angle, but the film fails to show it in any meaningful way.
The monsters are revealed to have one weakness: they cannot survive at elevations higher than 8,000 feet above sea level. This discovery becomes a key element of the plot, as it provides a safe haven for those who are able to live above this height.
However, the story does little to explain the reasoning behind this weakness, leaving it as a mere plot device rather than a well-thought-out concept. It’s a missed opportunity that undermines the potential for a truly engaging story.
The main characters are based in the Rocky Mountains, just outside of Boulder, Colorado. Several refugee camps exist in the mountains, and Will (played by Anthony Mackie) lives there with his young son, Hunter (Danny Boyd Jr.).
Will’s wife died at the hands of the monsters, and Hunter suffers from a chronic lung disease that has required him to rely on a breathing machine. Living at high altitudes has helped keep Hunter alive, but his machine filters are running low, and Will has no choice but to go below the 8,000-foot mark to retrieve more supplies from a hospital in Boulder.
Going down to lower elevations is extremely risky, as the monsters roam freely in these areas, but Will is desperate to save his son. He sets off on a dangerous journey with Katie (Maddie Hasson), a close friend, and Nina (Morena Baccarin), a scientist who believes she might have a way to defeat the creatures.
Together, the three set out to find the hospital in Boulder, where the supplies are located. But as they venture into the heart of the destroyed city, the tension mounts and it becomes uncertain whether any of them will survive.
A Lackluster Story and Underdeveloped Characters
At its core, Elevation is a monster movie that struggles to provide compelling character development or an original plot. The story is filled with predictable beats that can be seen from a mile away. The heroes encounter various obstacles along their journey, including close calls with the monsters.
However, the characters’ motivations and personalities are underdeveloped, making it difficult for the audience to connect with them or care about their survival.
Unlike other monster films, such as Tremors, where the chemistry between characters is central to the enjoyment of the story, Elevation fails to create any emotional investment.
The relationship between Will and his son is the only one with any real emotional weight, but even this dynamic feels underexplored. Will is a devoted father, willing to risk everything for his son’s survival, but outside of this one motivation, there isn’t much depth to his character.
Katie, played by Maddie Hasson, is another character who lacks much development. While she’s portrayed as a supportive friend to Will, there’s little to her beyond that role.
The film gives no reason for the audience to care whether she lives or dies, other than the fact that she’s part of Will’s journey. Her personality is not fleshed out enough to make her stand out as an individual, which weakens her role in the story.
Then there’s Nina, played by Morena Baccarin. Nina is introduced as a scientist who may hold the key to defeating the monsters. However, her character feels more like a plot device than a fully realized person. She serves as the exposition machine, explaining the monsters and offering ideas on how to stop them.
But aside from her scientific knowledge, Nina’s personal backstory is barely shown until the third act, where it is shoehorned in for plot convenience. This late introduction of her background feels forced and undercuts any potential for emotional resonance.
What’s more, the lack of chemistry between Mackie and Baccarin further hinders the film. While both actors are clearly skilled in their craft, they don’t seem to have much rapport on screen. Their interactions feel stiff, and the emotional stakes in their relationship fail to land. This is a critical flaw, as the bond between the characters is meant to drive the narrative. Unfortunately, it doesn’t succeed in doing so.
Monsters That Fail to Impress
One of the most disappointing aspects of Elevation is its portrayal of the monsters. In any good monster movie, the creatures are central to the experience, whether they’re horrifying and terrifying, or simply interesting in their design. Unfortunately, the monsters in Elevation fall flat. While they aren’t outright laughable, they fail to leave any lasting impression.
At the start of the film, the monsters are kept in the shadows, heightening the suspense. But as the movie progresses, the creatures are shown more and more clearly, and they fail to live up to the expectations set by earlier films in the genre.
Unlike the terrifying creatures in A Quiet Place or the memorable Graboids in Tremors, the monsters in Elevation look uninspired. They appear to be poorly designed, with CGI that feels cheap rather than innovative. Rather than being a source of terror, they become just another element of the film that fails to excite.
The monsters’ design seems to have been rushed, as they don’t stand out in any meaningful way. At the beginning of the movie, their brief moments in the shadows suggest that they could be more frightening if kept hidden. However, as they are revealed in full view, they don’t live up to the tension built earlier. This lack of payoff makes the creatures feel like a missed opportunity.
Additionally, the film’s approach to revealing the monsters’ origins feels anticlimactic. There is an attempt to build a mystery about whether the monsters are alien in origin or something else, but when the truth is finally revealed in the final act, it lacks any real impact.
The revelation feels more like an afterthought, another piece of exposition added to the film to fill space rather than provide a meaningful twist.
A Movie That’s Easily Forgettable
Despite its promising premise, Elevation never manages to reach the heights it aims for. It isn’t a bad movie, but it’s certainly not a memorable one. If you’re looking for a way to pass the time on a rainy weekend, Elevation will do the job. It won’t insult your intelligence, but it won’t wow you either.
The film is empty, relying on clichés and predictable plot points that do little to set it apart from other movies in the same genre.
Ultimately, Elevation feels like a missed opportunity. With a stronger script, better character development, and more engaging monsters, it could have been a thrilling ride. Instead, it ends up being a forgettable movie that quickly fades from memory once the credits roll.
If you’re hoping to see Anthony Mackie at his best, you’ll have to wait for his role in Captain America: Brave New World, where he’ll have the chance to truly shine. Until then, Elevation is a monster movie that’s easy to overlook. Elevation is now playing in theaters in the U.S.
