In Nowhere, a pregnant woman, who is trapped in a shipping container and stranded at sea, must do everything in her power to make it out alive. The film is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
A shortage of basic resources leads to governments falling all over Europe. The totalitarian regime that takes over exterminates all the dependents, such as children, pregnant women, and the elderly, to deal with the shortage.
After Mia and Nico’s daughter, Uma, is killed, they decide to flee Spain in a shipping container. Nico and Mia, who is pregnant with their second child, give up everything to pay the smugglers. However, even before their perilous journey begins, they are separated.
Furthermore, when the containers reach the port, the police figure out that people are hiding in them. Mia manages to climb on a crate and hide in time, but all the other people inside are shot to death.
Mia makes it to the ship that sets sail for Ireland. However, the situation gets worse when the ship is hit by a storm, causing Mia’s container to be thrown overboard. A pregnant Mia then finds herself trapped in a shipping container and drifting in the sea with no help or land in sight.
Performances
The success of the film depends on Anna Castillo, and she does not disappoint. She carries the weight of the entire film on her shoulders so well that the audience will not get tired of watching her character alone for the most part of the film.
Tamar Novas, who plays Nico, manages to leave a lasting impression, even though he only appears at the beginning of the film. The audience witnesses a tender moment between Mia and Nico, which familiarizes them with Nico enough to cry for him.
Positives
The film makes the audience feel several emotions with the characters. While fear is the most prominent, there are also Mia’s feelings of loss, guilt, and grief. Mia’s story, her love for her child, and everything that she has lost will make the audience shed a tear.
Like many other survival films, there are some gory scenes in this one as well. These stomach-twisting scenes not only bring out the horror of Mia’s situation but also highlight her resilience.
The film has been a terrifying thriller even before Mia’s container is thrown overboard. Mia fleeing from a totalitarian regime and its brutality, which is the reality of so many people, evokes fear and makes the audience somewhat understand the plight of the refugees.
It is interesting how different scenarios are used to make a solid thriller. On land, the fear of being seen is highlighted whenever Mia peeps out of the holes. Later, on the sea, the fear of detection is turned into the fear of going unheard and unseen.
Negatives
There is a lack of clarity when it comes to the reason behind Mia and Nico leaving the country. Unless one pays attention to the radio in the background or the snippets of news, one will not understand why the regime is exterminating the dependents, which will weaken the foundation of the story.
In the middle, the film loses its momentum. Perhaps the makers wanted to give the audience a breather, but instead of that, the film ends up losing its grip on the audience for a while.
Verdict
From the very first scene, Nowhere uses every single opportunity to create tension and bring out the terror of Mia’s situation. It ends up being a good survival thriller, thanks to Castillo’s strong performance.
Nowhere
Director: Albert Pintó
Date Created: 2023-09-27 15:09
3.5
Also Read: Nowhere summary and ending explained