Living in the UK and commuting often to London, It sometimes feels like I live my life on a train, but compared to the poor folks in Snowpiercer I have it easy. Although they don't have to put up with leaves on the line and maintenance work, there's slightly more at stake in this superb sci-fi thriller.
Directed by Bong Joon Ho (yes the man behind Parasite), Snowpiercer is another critical success for the director with 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and with a brilliant premise and superb cast it's easy to see why. That's why you need to watch it before it disappears from Prime Video on Christmas Day itself - the 25th of December.
So what's it about? Well, in a world ravaged by climate change, the entire human population is confined to a giant train that keeps itself going. Much like a real train, there are different levels of luxury. At the front, you have the rich elites, while at the rear, the poor are shoved in en masse and kept under constant watch by armed guards. If you need me to explain that it's a metaphor for society, it's probably not the movie for you.
The movie follows Curtis (Chris Evans), a disenfranchised man living in the poorer end of the train, as he inspires and leads an uprising, marching to the front on a revolutionary mission. As well as Evans. you'll find stellar performances from fellow big names Tilda Swinton and the late great John Hurt.
If you feel like you need more Snowpiercer in your life, then you're in luck. There's a TV series as well, starring the likes of Jennifer Connelly and Sean Bean, with all three seasons now streaming on Netflix (in the UK).
Sci-fi fans are in something of a Winter Wonderland at the moment with 2024 looking to be a massive year. 3 Body Problem, One of Netflix's most anticipated shows will arrive next year (albeit a bit later) while Black Mirror is also set to come back to Netflix next year.
