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Movie Review: Centigrade

Mike Tyrkus

Even though the new thriller, Centigrade, is beset by a few issues that prevent it from being a truly great entry to the genre, it is still a tremendously effective exploration of the effects a fight for survival has on a relationship that perhaps is not as strong as was initially thought.

The scene is set somewhat simplistically as a young American couple, Matthew (Vincent Piazza) and pregnant Naomi (Genesis Rodriguez) wake up after spending the night on the side of the road in the arctic Norwegian mountains after pulling over to rest as the weather grew more treacherous and their ability to drive safely became even more unlikely. Unfortunately, although they are rested, the vehicle has been entombed by a layer of ice that they are unable to penetrate. With very little in the way of resources to assist them in surviving this startling situation, they begin a battle against time and the increasingly hostile elements to escape to safety.

Genesis Rodriguez and Vincent Piazza in “Centigrade.”

Director Brendan Walsh, who also co-wrote the script with Daley Dixon, makes an honorable feature debut after forging a path through several television series over the past few years, including Nurse Jackie, Royal Pains, and Tommy. There is a keen sense of style at work in the way he manages to make the SUV prison the couple must escape both indescribably confining yet large enough to not feel too overwhelming within the frame of the film. This, of course, means the actors have to carry the bulk of the film upon their shoulders as the entirety of the film occurs within one location and includes only the two main characters.

Both Piazza and Rodriguez perform admirably though they aren’t given much more than stock characters and more than a few well-worn situations to deal with throughout. That being said, the innate desire of human beings to survive lurks at the core of this movie and it would be difficult to find someone not rooting for the couple to make it despite the many character hiccups and relationship woes.

Although there are problems with Centigrade, such as a bit too much reliance on well-worn tropes of the survivalist genre at a few key points to propel the story forward, that keeps it from being something truly special and unique, the film delivers an emotionally powerful experience that gives it a little more credence than most films of this ilk. That coupled with the tense, effective directing style at work makes Centigrade an above average tale of survivalist drama.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com
An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

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