Do disaster movies always have to be over-the-top and unrealistic? The Gerard Butler-led Greenland, on TV tonight, proves otherwise
When Gerard Butler directs a disaster movie, the result is usually a fast-paced action fest. The star of the Olympus Has Fallen series has come to stand for explosive cinema that is not shy about its B-note. With Geostorm, he delivered one of the most absurd sci-fi blockbusters of recent years.
It was all the more surprising when his second major disaster film, Greenland, turned out to be a serious and touching examination of a doomsday scenario. Against all preconceptions, the film delivers a gripping story that takes us to the end of the world as a family struggles to survive.
Disaster movie with Gerard Butler: In Greenland, a comet hurtles straight towards Earth
The disaster in Greenland unfolds as follows: A giant comet is hurtling towards Earth, threatening to wipe out all of humanity. As a result, John Garrity (Butler) tries every means at his disposal to get his wife Allison (Morena Baccarin) and son Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd) to safety.
You can watch the trailer for Greenland here:
John’s destination is a secret bunker facility in Greenland designed to provide shelter for select people from the inevitable catastrophe. On the way there, however, not only is family drama revealed, but we experience some nerve-wracking moments in which human abysses are revealed.
Greenland is an extremely dramatic undertaking, but does not rely on the usual blockbuster bombast. Instead, the film, shot for only 35 million US dollars, recreates the sketched doomsday scenario in haunting scenes that seem significantly more grounded and realistic than most Hollywood role models.
