Director George Nolfi has discovered his muse in Anthony Mackie. Elevation represents the third collaboration between this duo, following their previous works, The Adjustment Bureau and the Apple Original Film, The Banker. Mackie is poised for a significant year in 2025 as he takes on the prestigious titular role in Captain America: Brave New World. The film Elevation essentially serves as a limelight for the actor, showcasing his front-man capabilities as he guides a do-or-die mission within this post-apocalyptic survival thriller. Despite being overshadowed by comparable films released in 2024 like A Quiet Place: Day One and Arcadian, it’s able to distinguish itself through its clear script and equally effective direction.
The story of Elevation is reminiscent of a video game narrative. It reminds me of a combination of The Last of Us and Gears of War. A community situated in the mountains outside of Boulder, Colorado, are forced to live at 8,000 feet or more above sea-level in order to avoid the sinkhole emerging apex predator called “Reapers”. After learning that he has run out of oxygen filters essential for his asthmatic son Hunter (Danny Boyd Jr.), Will (Anthony Mackie) eagerly requests the assistance of former scientist Nina (Morena Baccarin), and family friend Katie (Maddie Hasson) to embark on a crucial mission aimed at retrieving the necessary supplies to save his boy. This challenging expedition will take them beneath the 8,000-foot threshold, a zone where the Reapers are prone to launching attacks. The trio must determine a way to reach the hospital in Boulder while steering clear of these brutal creatures.
Will suggests navigating through a mine he worked at before “Emergence Day,” a reference that will resonate with fans of the Gears of War franchise. Before they reach the mine, there is a notable sequence that includes a ski lift and grenade launcher; however, it is regrettably hindered by subpar CGI effects.
Upon arriving at the mine, a blockade situated at the safety line pivots the group into the lower levels, ultimately leading to Elevation’s most thrilling moments. The action unfolds in tight quarters, highlighting Nina’s resourcefulness, developed through her extensive years of research on the Reapers, and featuring a scene that strongly parallels the basement scene in Spielberg’s War of the Worlds.
Although the mine sequence is my favorite in Elevation, it cannot rival the breathtaking depiction of the Rocky Mountain region by Cinematographer Shelly Johnson. It’s an odd feeling watching a post-apocalyptic film look so serene, especially when public areas typically reflect the chaotic remnants of a Black Friday rush at Wal-Mart. This may be associated with the Reapers unclear objectives, as they appear to focus their attacks exclusively on humans, leaving the rest of nature, including animal life, untouched. There exists a significant contrast between nature, humans, and the Reapers. The wide landscape shots in addition to the swift overhead drone shots during the action scenes; highlights the insignificance of humans in relation to the Reaper-infested environment that surrounds them.
Final Thoughts
Elevation is a film that knows that it wants to do and does it without ever looking back. Characters make rational decisions and speak naturally in moments of desperation. Ambiguity is a major factor in regard to where the Reapers come from and why they have limitations of surpassing 8,000 feet. All of those unanswered questions of course leave room for a prequel/sequel, but leaving things unanswered most of the time makes for good wishful thinking. Elevation, unlike its peers, has the CGI charm of a sci-fi channel original, coiled with the ambitions of a blockbuster post-apocalyptic flick.