If certain movies are to be trusted, the apocalypse will occur when monsters swarm the Earth and hunt to kill people who are powerless to survive — unless they abide by one high-concept rule. Such is the story in “A Quiet Place,” a boffo hit franchise, and now “Elevation,” an action-packed copycat.
The thriller begins by briskly conveying its premise: Three years earlier, bulletproof creatures emerged from hibernation to wipe out the majority of mankind. The predators — which locate victims by their carbon dioxide emissions, like killer air purifiers — refuse to surpass 8,000 feet in altitude, allowing for select communities of mountaintop survivors.
We meet Will (Anthony Mackie), a gruff single father in an isolated alpine community, as he is forced to trek downslope in search of medical supplies for his son. Tagging along on the journey are Nina (Morena Baccarin) and Katie (Maddie Hasson), local tough ladies who swear, punch and effortlessly wield military-grade firearms.
Directed by George Nolfi (“The Adjustment Bureau”), “Elevation” is distinctive not for its innovations in form or narrative — it’s got nothing new to offer — but for the anxieties and attitudes it telegraphs.
“How do we take our place back?” Katie asks one evening, uncomfortably employing supremacist language. Nina’s reply: “If you study something long enough, you can figure out how to kill it.”
Structured differently, “Elevation” might have congealed around themes of humanity and ingenuity in the face of danger. As is, its stance is defined only by aggression.
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