The Mountain Between Us

Starring: Idris Elba, Kate Winslet, Beau Bridges, Dermot Mulroney
Directed by: Hany Abu-Assad
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
2017

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two strangers (Idris Elba, Kate Winslet) crash land in a remote mountain range. They must band together if they hope to survive.

Review:

Tim: I didn't expect to enjoy The Mountain Between Us as much as I did. It's a thoroughly enjoyable movie, however. There's a number of factors that contribute to this. First off, it's been a while since Hollywood gave us a good survivalist movie. I've been a big fan of movies like this- big adventure movies that pit humans against the elements, giving them a series of obstacles to overcome if they hope to survive. There's a reason I enjoy movies like The Edge and The Grey so much. There's something inherently exciting about watching people fight against nature to survive. So, this movie delivers an entertaining story in that vein. That's one of the big reasons to watch this movie- it's just so fun to watch two intelligent people in a terrible situation, with only each other to rely on. Movies like this transport you to those situations and you have to wonder what you'd do, if you would survive.

That's the thing I enjoyed about the movie the most. It's beautifully shot, so you real feel the isolation and the beauty of the surroundings. The cinematography is really strong and it pulls you into this stunning yet dangerous location. This is an adventure movie and director Hany Abu-Assad maintains a strong pace so it always feels like the story is progressing.

It helps that you have two strong actors bringing to life the main characters. Almost the whole movie involves just these two characters, so you need to understand and empathize with them. The casting was superb, as Idris Elba and Kate Winslet are both such talented actors. They are different enough in their personality and approach that they're believable as strangers who are thrown into this unfortunate situation. They bring their characters to life, but also establish emotional connections with the audience. I wanted them to survive and felt invested in their story. When they faced danger head on, I inched forward a bit in my chair- I didn't want either one of them to die. Now, this movie is also a romance, so that was a bit of a twist on the "fight for survival" theme. The romance might be slightly less believable- I'm not sure that true romance can blossom when you're scared for your life, dirty, exhausted, and hurt. The movie tried hard to make this come across as believable. It did a good job, but it's not wholly convincing. I certainly believe people establish deep connections under great stress, but I'm not sure the whole romance aspect really made a lot of sense. Still, it was interesting to see a survival movie with a strong romantic element- we really haven't seen that very much.

Looking at reviews and box office receipts, it appears as if I enjoyed The Mountain Between Us more than the average viewer/critic. I'm okay with that. This certainly isn't a flawless movie, but it was an entertaining, effective on (in my mind). I really liked this movie and would unhesitatingly recommend it to others.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Edge, The Grey, Alive