Gerard Butler film brings intensity and suspense to the doomsday genre

Whenever my family and I sit down in front of the television for our weekly movie night, we almost always turn on an action packed film that revolves around the end of the world. However, after watching so many movies from this genre, they begin to feel repetitive. Most plots in this genre revolve around a devastating natural disaster that spirals into doomsday for everyone around the world. So, when we turned on “Greenland,” we expected to be entertained, but not overly impressed. 

We were mistaken. 

“Greenland” is a relatively new doomsday movie that follows the journey of John Garrity (played by Gerard Butler), his wife, and their young son as they attempt to seek safety as a world-ending comet plummets toward Earth. This movie was action packed and very intense. So much so that two of my younger brothers (ages 10 and 12) had to leave the room for three quarters of the movie. As I watched, I found my heart to be constantly racing as I tried to anticipate what would happen next-something that doesn’t usually happen when I watch movies in this genre. 

Although it may be too intense for some, this movie was innovative and brought up the ethical dilemma of who truly deserves to be saved in a doomsday event. The movie had great CGI visuals that made it feel as if I was part of the movie. Although an unlikely event, I felt that the choice of using a comet as the cause of Earth’s destruction made the movie feel more realistic, due to the fact that there is so much that is unknown about space. The fact that this is a similar situation to how dinosaurs became extinct only added to the realism of the catastrophe chosen. 

While suspenseful, “Greenland” also includes action packed moments. While violent, due to the fact that people are fighting for their lives (literally), it wasn’t overly gory. It didn’t take away from the true plot of the movie, and simply added to the intensity instead. In some of the scenes, it shows how dedicated the family was to staying together; they may have bumps, but they would do anything to find them again.  

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed “Greenland.” Through its realistic choice of disaster, multiple moral dilemmas, and heart racing scenes, I found myself on the edge of my seat for most of the film. It was suspenseful, action packed, and kept you guessing until the very last minute. This film is a definite must-watch if you want an action packed movie that will keep you entertained until the very end.