Police officer Martin (Javier Gutiérrez) got transferred to a new precinct. His assignment will be to transport a group of criminals through a cold Winter night.
Joining him is Montesinos (Isak Férriz). Unlike Martin, who likes and respects rules. Montesinos is an unruly cop who seems to enjoy butting heads with the prisoners.
Driving through the snow-filled road, Montesinos decided to take a shortcut. Not knowing that a man (Karra Elejalde), with deadly intent, awaits their arrival there.
It turns out that the man wants one of the prisoners. So he sabotages the vehicle, shooting down Montesinos in the process.
Martin is now all alone, stuck in a van in the middle of nowhere. Outside is a guy who wants to kill them. Behind his truck is a group of criminals looking to escape.
Martin must find a way to get help before it is too late.
Contrary to its marketing, this is not an action film. Instead, this is a thriller-drama that is also a discourse on morals and justice.
In all fairness, "Below Zero" has an idea on how to tell its point. It follows a law-abiding police officer forced to break his principles to survive. A classic cop story where the viewers must sympathize with the hero to be effective.
The problem is, Martin's character development starts at the end of the film. The story takes too long to utilize all the sympathy the movie got from the audience. It instead drags the viewers to more dull sequences and expositions.
Additionally, "Below Zero" is a snowstorm of crazy twists and revelations. The events are so unbelievable that it does not make sense by the end. Not only that, the film is a terrible hint giver and secret keeper. All of the mysteries get revealed halfway through the film. Frankly, there is no point in watching a thriller feature without the thrills of knowing.
“Below Zero” falls below my expectation. Although, it is not a terrible film per se. It just lacks the punch to make a strong impression after watching it. The story needs more development, and the direction needs polishing. Given more time, this can be a better film through and through.
1.5/5
