No Way Up movie review

MOVIE TITLE: No Way Up

This dramatic thriller releases on February 16, 2024 on Video on Demand platforms.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 30 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: C

IN A NUTSHELL:

Characters from different backgrounds are thrown together when the plane they’re traveling on crashes into the Pacific Ocean. A nightmare fight for survival ensues with the air supply running out and dangers creeping in from all sides.

The film was directed by Claudio Fah. Writing credits go to Andy Mayson.

THINGS I LIKED:

Fans of Downton Abbey’s Phyllis Logan will be happy to see her, as she classes up the joint.
Other cast members you might recognize are Colm Meaney, Will Attenborough, and Sophie McIntosh.
Have you been to Cabo? Fun place! Unfortunately, the characters don’t make it there.
If you don’t like sharks, you’ll get a lot of jumps and scares.
These kinds of underwater thrillers always make me hold my breath.
I always admire actors who are willing to take roles in movies that require them to spend hours and weeks filming in cold, wet sets.
A 10-year-old girl in the story tells everyone that sharks don’t like bubbles. I looked it up and, apparently, it’s true.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

So many of the characters don’t know how to behave like a decent human being.
The lack of people on the plane is odd and could have offered more interesting interactions than what we’re given with the small cast.
With a big, gaping hole in the plane, there shouldn’t have been an air pocket at all, right?
A lot of bad acting moments.
The wounds look pretty fake.
We don’t get to see very many sharks up close and personal.
Certain plot points are just ridiculous.
Ultimately, the film could have been so much better. As it is now, it will be instantly forgettable.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Profanity, including many F-bombs
Many crude comments
We see a lot of people die in various ways, often with blood.
We see dead, floating bodies.
Gory, bloody body parts are seen.
A gay man talks about wanting to marry his partner.

THEMES:

Survival
“Together we can do this”
Self-confidence and believing in yourself
Sacrifice for others
Life and death
Hope

FUNNY LINES:

None. It’s a pretty serious drama.

INTERESTING LINES:

“Every situation has the potential for violence.” – bodyguard (Colm Meaney)
“When will you learn to believe in yourself?” – Jed, the stupid boyfriend (Jeremias Amoore)
“Don’t think about what can go wrong; think about what can go right.” – Jed, the stupid boyfriend (Jeremias Amoore)