A poetic, high-octane action movie? Can’t be! No way you can say “poetic” and “high-octane” in the same sentence, right? Yup, this is a weird one, but a great weird one, unique in an excellent way. Whether you want wall-to-wall suspense-filled action or you want profound thought on celluloid, this movie delivers both; actually, I can’t think of any other profound action movie in recent years. But if you’re not looking for deep thought and you just want action, you can just ignore the obvious sociological allegory and take the movie at face value. On a moving train holding the last remnants of the human race after an apocalyptic ice age, a rebellion against the upper class is sparked by one of the workers enslaved to maintain the train. I guess the top 1% of our society won’t like this one too much, but it’s a blast for the rest of us 99%. Class warfare, literally. It’s surprising how accurate the allegory is (but I guess that depends on your point of view, doesn’t it). This movie didn’t get much attention upon its release, but I’m pretty sure that its fame will grow over time. A great movie indeed.

2021 Update: I was right, the fame of this movie has grown over time, especially after its director, Bong Joon-ho, won Best Picture and Best Director in the 2020 Academy Awards for the movie, “Parasite.” I liked “Snowpiercer” better, though. 

 Not For Kids

Snowpiercer (2013)