Greenland Trailer #1 (2020) | Movieclips Trailers

Greenland (2020) is a disaster thriller film directed by Ric Roman Waugh and starring Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, and Roger Dale Floyd. The film focuses on a family’s desperate attempt to survive a global catastrophe caused by a massive comet on a collision course with Earth. Blending intense action, human drama, and survival elements, Greenland explores the emotional and physical challenges of surviving an apocalyptic event.

Plot Summary

The story centers on John Garrity (Gerard Butler), a structural engineer, and his wife Allison (Morena Baccarin), along with their young son Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd), who are living in suburban America when news breaks that a comet named “Clarke” is heading directly toward Earth. The comet’s tail brings with it the potential for devastating destruction, and a series of smaller fragments, known as “fireballs,” start falling, causing widespread destruction across the globe.

John and his family are selected to be among the few survivors who are offered a spot in a government-funded shelter in Greenland, a safe zone where they can ride out the catastrophe. However, their journey to safety is fraught with danger. As the world falls into chaos, the Garrity family is separated and must struggle to reunite amidst the chaos of collapsing societies, failing governments, and increasingly catastrophic natural disasters.

While trying to reach the shelter, they face numerous challenges, including mass evacuations, riots, and the collapse of infrastructure. The threat of further impacts from the comet’s fragments grows increasingly imminent, and the family must make tough choices to survive.

Themes and Style

Greenland explores several themes, including survival in the face of overwhelming odds, the resilience of the human spirit, and the importance of family. The film also delves into the moral and ethical decisions people must make in extreme circumstances, as individuals are forced to prioritize their survival at the expense of others. As the comet’s impact becomes more certain, the narrative emphasizes the breakdown of social order and the challenges of trying to maintain hope in a world falling apart.

The film’s style is focused on high-stakes action and disaster sequences, with spectacular special effects depicting the comet’s destruction and the havoc it causes. Tense, dramatic moments are juxtaposed with quieter, emotional scenes where the characters reflect on their relationships and struggle with the choices they must make.

Reception

Greenland received mixed to positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. Many praised the film’s focus on character development and the emotional depth of the family dynamic, particularly the performances of Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin. The portrayal of the comet disaster and its aftermath was also widely appreciated for its realistic depiction of the panic and devastation that could accompany such an event.

However, some critics felt that the film’s plot followed familiar disaster movie tropes, and while the emotional beats were effective, the overall story didn’t offer much new in terms of innovation or depth. Still, the film was generally regarded as an entertaining and suspenseful thriller with a solid, action-packed premise.

Despite its mixed reviews, Greenland was successful at the box office, especially considering the challenges of releasing films during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film found a strong audience among viewers who enjoy disaster thrillers, as well as fans of Gerard Butler’s previous work in similar genres, such as Olympus Has Fallen (2013).

Overall Impression

Greenland is a tense, gripping disaster thriller that combines emotional drama with high-octane action. While it may not break new ground in the genre, it succeeds in delivering a compelling story about a family’s struggle for survival during an apocalyptic event. The film is anchored by strong performances, particularly from Butler and Baccarin, and offers a mix of thrilling disaster sequences and heartfelt human moments. For fans of the genre, Greenland provides a solid, entertaining experience that explores the lengths people will go to for the ones they love in the face of the end of the world.