Tales of survival can be one of the most suspense-filled forms of drama that cinema has to offer, as these are often the stories that we can relate to most viscerally in our bones. The stakes are heightened all the more when you know that the tale you are watching is inspired by a true story. Such is the case with the new drama Centigrade from director Brendan Walsh, who teases events from 2002 that provide the seed for this otherwise manufactured narrative. The movie wastes no time in dropping us right into the nightmare as American married couple Matthew (Vincent Piazza, Boardwalk Empire) and Naomi (Genesis Rodriguez, Quibi’s The Fugitive) wake with their SUV buried under ice and snow after pulling off the road during a particularly nasty blizzard. The pair have been traveling through wintry Norway as a part of Naomi’s book tour, but this force of nature coupled with poor decision making has put the pair in a life or death situation that will push them to their limits both physically and emotionally.
The dynamic between the couple is established from the earliest moments. Naomi is of the mindset that they should break the window and do everything they can to tunnel out of the ice and snow. Matthew believes this would be a very misguided idea, as they are mostly protected from the elements and rescue is sure to be right around the corner. The disagreement causes tension, which is only exacerbated by the fact that Naomi is eight months pregnant. Needless to say, help does not come as soon as they might want, and the screenplay has to fill day after day with some sort of growing heightened tension, often manifesting in argument after argument. This pressure cooker situation leads to the pair having to confront certain truths about their relationships and reveal secrets they have been keeping from one another, but such revelations are honestly not all that interesting. This coupled with the fact that you see the couple make poor decision after poor decision offers more frustration than tension.
The biggest issue with this story is the way in which it is executed cinematically. Films that take place in a single location can be incredibly gripping, Locke made Tom Hardy placing phone calls during a long drive one of the most engrossing pictures of that year, but Walsh introduces dramatic developments in fits and spurts, and they do not resonate as much as they should when they do arrive. At just 90 minutes, Centigrade should be a tight thriller about the survival of the human spirit against the most overwhelming odds. This could have been achieved without padding the runtime anymore by just providing a few scenes of the couple pre-confinement as two people in love with one another. By only seeing these characters at their worst, it is difficult to root for them to survive this terrible ordeal. You care about them on the most basic human level, but a true emotional investment is nowhere to be found. While you feel a great sense of dread along with these characters, there comes a time quite a bit before the ending that you just want the story to wrap up one way or another.
The film is nicely crafted on a technical level, as Walsh gets the most out of the cramped interior. There are certain shots from outside of the car where you see how close the pair could be to being discovered, but they are not lucky enough to be given such a reprieve. The two actors do a fine job of bringing this hair-pulling material to life that has them acting in the most irritating of ways. The real-life acting couple was supposedly chosen because the director was searching for a pair who were together in real life, but the end result does not seem massively enhanced by such a superfluous dictum. More impressive are the physical performances they turn in to show how their bodies are deteriorating over the weeks they are stranded when left with only the smallest rations of food and water. They are so game to inhabit these characters that you are left wishing the script could have been stronger to support their talent. The film offers up some decent tension in particular moments, but it is too uneven to offer a well-rounded thriller. This is a movie calling out for grander feats of innovation, but this small-scale drama takes the conventional path at every turn.
Video Quality
The film debuts on Blu-Ray courtesy of Scream Factory with a steady 1080p presentation in its original aspect ratio that captures the film as well as can be. The movie itself has a very narrow color palette that was never going to make this a disc you turn to for bursts of color, but there is a great amount of detail and clarity within the confines of the car. The fine detail that is detectable on the frost-bitten faces is quite remarkable. For a movie that is mostly bathed in darkness, it is important to have deep black levels, which this often sacrifices in order to reveal more information within the vehicle. Objects hold up fairly well in the shadows and retain their depth. Shots are mostly pretty steady and avoid blurring, but banding does prove to be somewhat of an issue. There is no damage, but black crush and digital noise does pop up occasionally in this transfer. This is a decent transfer from Scream Factory that allows the film to shine as much as it can within its limited means.
Audio Quality
Centigrade comes to Blu-Ray with an outstanding DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track. The movie is mostly on the quiet side with bursts of activity when it features shots outside of the hellacious blizzard. The low end of the track is especially active during these moments with a bit of wall shaking happening. The dialogue and subtle sound effects are appropriately balanced where nothing gets lost in the track. Surround channels mostly get activity during the scenes outside and small moments within the vehicle The directionality of this track is on point with sounds coming from all of the appropriate places. This track is quietly powerful, and will be appreciated by fans who pick up this disc.
Special Features
- Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here which does a good job of establishing the stakes.
Final Thoughts
Centigrade is an intimate survival drama that fails to match the height of its narrative ambition. Neither the script nor the performances give the audience enough to hold onto as these individuals fight to not succumb to an icy tomb. There are moments of greatness, but there are too many lulls and frustrating character choices to consider this a great movie. Scream Factory has delivered a Blu-Ray with an excellent audio presentation and a decent video presentation considering the limitations of the environment.
Centigrade is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Scream Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
