When a plane carrying grizzled oil workers crashes in the Alaskan wilderness, the survivors, led by wolf assassin Liam Neeson, find themselves stalked by enormous CGI monstrosities.
However, The Grey curiously wants to find more of its terror in accepting mortality than in fighting seemingly bear-sized wolves.
Surrounded by an expanse that translates strikingly well to the big screen, and armed with a refreshing awareness of what one character calls “MacGyver bullshit,” the men find themselves grappling with matters of faith and death as their numbers dwindle.
Yet despite a centering performance by Neeson, the script does not have enough to say outside of high school existentialisms to elevate this contemplative streak into the high-minded meditation it thinks it is.
2.5/5 stars Directed by: Joe Carnahan Starring: Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney 117 min.
