The Unthinkable

It's very intense, overly long, and by the end I just wanted it to be over.

It is several different kinds of movie going on alll at once, but it's all of a piece and there's some beautiful cinematography.

The matter-of-fact nature of this conundrum unfolds with such subtle, elegant strokes that when a series of explosions suddenly begin to unfold across the country, they initially seem like little more than an afterthought.

Some genre fans may be impatient with this approach at first, but by the end, it really works. This isn't just a story about a world-ending threat. It's a story about a handful of people who don't want to die before settling unfinished business.

It's impressively staged, especially considering the low budget, and contains a number of action beats that put the film's high-priced Hollywood competition to shame.

Despite some strikingly accomplished elements, the awkward whole never quite gels...

If viewers have the patience to sit through [a long] backstory, it has a payoff at the film's conclusion, which can be best be described as walking a fine line between artsy and schmaltzy ... Not a groundbreaking movie ... but it has enough suspense.

Although it turns convoluted in the second half, the film mostly sidesteps the cheesy, over-the-top tendencies you might expect, especially considering the modest budget.

Effective both as an emotionally affecting drama and an epic disaster thriller.

Shows a lot of promise, but by the time the film draws to its overwrought and melodramatic ending, it's hard to really care.