Freedman’s Film Forum: “Greenland”

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Joshua Freedman

Junior Joshua M. Freedman enjoys watching an early premiere of the new film “Greenland” at his house on Sept. 16.

The major motion picture “Greenland” is what audience members get when the producers of “John Wick,” “The Town” and “Clash of the Titans” work with renowned director Ric Roman Waugh — and I loved it.

“Greenland” is centered around John Garrity (Gerard Butler), his wife Allison Garrity (Morena Baccarin) and their young son Nathan (Roger Dale Floyd), and their fight for survival in a crumbling world. At the beginning of the film, everything seems as it should be: John has a secure job as a construction foreman, the Garritys have a nice house and everyone is excited to watch a small fragment of the comet Clarke collide with earth. All of this is about to change.

When John receives a call from the Department of Homeland Security that his family has been selected to be relocated in a military-grade shelter, he, as well as the rest of civilization, quickly learns that Clarke isn’t something to be marveled at, but rather, a planet killer.

It is a fight for survival, and every human being on earth is a competitor. While on its surface “Greenland” is a movie about a family trying to reach safety in a bunker, the film is so much deeper than that.

The comet crashing into earth is the backdrop for the total breakdown of society. Some people help those in need, some take up arms, some pray and some party like it is the end of the world (because it is).

What I found interesting about “Greenland” was that it reminded me of the novel Lord of the Flies but on a more global scale. When it came down to the “it’s either me or you” mentality, good people started doing horrendous things, from looting to murder. The film “shows these unbelievable situations that are grounded and real,” and it’s interesting “watching people, even good people, do very heinous things out of desperation,” Waugh said in an interview.

Another startling part of this movie was imagining myself in a similar life-or-death situation and wondering how I would react. Would I kidnap and kill if it meant those closest to me would survive, or would accept my fate and make the most out of my last living hours. “We always have these things to talk about in life about ‘I would kill to save my family’ [and] ‘I would do anything to protect my kids.’ Well would you? How far would you be willing to go,” Waugh said.

Those questions that parents ponder are exactly what Waugh attempts to explore in his film, and the answers will make an individual’s stomach churn.

Despite some of the intense emotional and psychological parts of the film, I found “Greenland” to ultimately be an epic movie that sent shivers down my spine.

When “Greenland” comes to Blu Ray, I might just kill to get my hands on a copy. I guess we will have to see when the situation arises…