Greenland (2020)
Directed by: Ric Roman Waugh
Starring: Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, Roger Dale Floyd
First things first: Greenland features an epic disaster scenario but the way I see it, it is only borderline a disaster movie. For most of the film, the looming disaster is mainly a backdrop for a family’s struggle to find their way back together, both geographically and emotionally. Which is absolutely fine, but if you come into this one expecting wall-to-wall destruction – temper your expectations.
Comet spoils the backyard BBQ
Gerard Butler stars as construction engineer John Garrity, who is trying to patch up his relationship with estranged wife Allison (Morena Baccarin) after a rocky period. They have a son, Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd), who is fascinated by the newly discovered comet Clarke, which is all over the news. Scientists predict some debris will hit Earth but calculate it will land in the ocean and not cause any serious damage. Yeah, right. As central Florida is annihilated on live tv, it is clear that doomsday is approaching rapidly. In 48 hours a piece of rock 15 kilometers wide will hit Western Europe and trigger global cataclysm. The Garritys have been selected by the government for evacuation – unlike their friends and neighbors, which seriously spoils the neighborhood BBQ party. But getting onboard the planes headed to Greenland, where large shelters are waiting, turns out to be way more difficult and dangerous than hoped for…
The on-screen disaster content is fine (not fantastic) when it shows up. It just does not show up very often. An early news clip of central Florida being obliterated helps to set the stakes, and there are scattered debris strikes from the passing comet along the way that provide some punch. The final act also delivers some glimpses of the big impact. But that is essentially it. For a film with the end of the world as its premise, the actual end of the world remains frustratingly offstage for most of the runtime.
Greenland is the anti-Armageddon
What we do get is an engaging thriller/drama focused on only the three main characters. John and Allison get separated from each other at an early stage and spend the main part of the movie fighting their way through escalating chaos and panic to find each other again. Director Waugh, working from a script by Chris Sparling, makes a point of balancing societal collapse into barbarism with glimpses of humanity and caring, which I found quietly affecting. It gives a more nuanced picture of human nature than this kind of film usually bothers with.
And I do like Gerard Butler. Sorry, not sorry. He’s not the greatest actor in the world (though certainly not the worst either) but there is a relatability to him that I respond to. Greenland also gives him much better source material to work with than he had in the rather ridiculous Geostorm. Morena Baccarin gives a good performance as Allison, and damn! but I love Scott Glenn who appears in a small part as Allison’s crusty old dad.
All in all, Greenland is well worth your time. It is a well-made and emotionally engaging film which I genuinely enjoyed. As asteroid/comet movies go, this is kind of the anti-Armageddon: less OTT spectacle, but more dramatic.
Rating: 4/5
