Critic Reviews

Settings aside, Infinite Storm is Watt’s show, and she is thoroughly invested.

At times almost too unbearably intense to watch but ultimately rewarding and with an uplifting twist, “Infinite Storm” is based on the amazing, true-life story of one Pam Bales, who in 2010 set out on an excursion to the top of Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeastern United States, which is famous for its unpredictable weather and exhilarating but dangerous paths.

If this movie and her previous project signal a shift in Watts' career that will be dominated by survival tales that put her at the center of a movie and showcase her doing things that give most viewers a pulled tendon just sitting there in the audience, so much the better.

Enhanced by an all-in performance from Watts and impressive behind-the-camera work, Infinite Storm is a ride that's both engrossing and emotional.

This is a daring and memorable depiction of trauma, compassion and resilience.

With this role, Watts is reminding us that she can hold the screen by herself and without saying a word tell you everything you need to know about a character — and all the while looking fantastic.

Watts’ stoic, sturdy performance and the film’s affecting and formula-busting third act make this Infinite Storm well worth weathering.

The movie’s secret sauce is humanity through action, what Watts’ Pam in all her heart, knowledge, grit, solitude, caring, irritation, and worry shows us when she’s in her element: what losing and finding looks like in real time.

If it falls a bit short as human drama, however, Szumowska’s latest — a 180-degree turn from her last, the excellent Polish allegorical tale “Never Gonna Snow Again” — is fully satisfying as an appreciation of Nature as magnificent adversary.

What sustains a viewer’s interest in Infinite Storm is Watts’ controlled performance, and the film’s direction.