Critic Reviews

Brendan Walsh’s cold survivalist thriller, Centigrade, is a creatively crafted claustrophobic study of a fractured marriage. Strongly acted, the drama wallows in melancholy while presenting peaks of hope amid its simple icy setting.

But if you like claustrophobic stories of survival, putting yourself in the winter shoes of our antagonists, it’s not bad.

The situation is dire, and while Centigrade eventually spins off into some well-worn tropes and predictable twists, the strength of its clever introduction keeps it pushing forward into a satisfying end.

Though just under 90 minutes, the film falters with pacing. The story rarely progresses further than exchanged glances, lots of sleeping, and a few, tense, cold moments. The couple never looks to be in serious danger.

If there’s an error, it’s the occasional atmospheric shots of the frigid mountains around the car.

Rather than focusing on the specific aspects that make the film unique, Centigrade turns into a mishmash of genres.

Neither tense nor thematically resonant enough to overcome its literally small-scale aspects, Centigrade proves as much an ordeal for its viewers as its characters.

Worst of all, the pacing here is just off, leading to a film that drags even at 90 minutes. If the cold doesn’t kill you, the boredom will.