Destinos à Deriva

Nowhere is one of those movies on Netflix that you sometimes can overlook or watch and expect absolutely nothing from but I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised!

A Spanish production directed by Albert pinto tells the story of pregnant Mia fleeing a totalitarian country, who must fight for her life when a violent storm knocks the container in which she has been hiding overboard. Trapped, and alone Mia gives birth and is forced to survive to save her baby.

The film is taut, visceral in places (self surgery, giving birth) and quite moving in parts. One of the fundamentals of a good survival story is caring about the protagonist, you actually do feel for Mia and what would be a nightmare scenario.

This could quite easily of turned into a political statement about migration but refrains from the common, cliched Netflix approach. Some minor implausibility aside - would she and a newborn die of hypothermia, highly likely but that doesn't detract from the film's invention and mias ingenuity to survive any less compelling and heartwarming. If you enjoy films like cast away, the grey and other "against the element/odds" Nowhere should keep you watching right till the end.

Nowhere (2023) presents an intriguing survival premise with a solitary character facing overwhelming odds, but it fails to maintain tension or deliver a compelling narrative. The film's minimalistic approach initially grabs attention, and the lead performance is commendable, carrying much of the emotional weight.

However, the plot becomes repetitive, and the pacing suffers from a lack of dynamic developments. The story's attempts at deeper emotional resonance feel underdeveloped, leaving the audience with little to connect to beyond the surface-level struggle.

While Nowhere has moments of raw intensity, it doesn't do enough to stand out among similar survival dramas.

For women who are pregnant, especially who are pregnant in the last weeks, please avoid watching this movie because based on my own experience, right when the main character's amniotic fluid scene broke, my amniotic fluid broke too and I gave birth the next day. Maybe because it's too emotional and delve into what the main character experiences. Then I went to the emergency room in the middle of the night and gave birth to my first child the next morning. I'm not kidding, I'm just warning you girls.

Honestly, I didn't dare to continue watching this film, even though I was quite curious about the ending of the story.

7.8 stars.

The cinematography is what most stands out for me with 'Nowhere'. The seascape is frighteningly realistic and scary and at times I felt as if I was there. The storm, the desperation, the futility, the starvation... everything is spot on. The story itself and many of the details are obviously exaggerated and unbelievable, however what the movie does provide is something that feels authentic in its presentation and stimulates the senses. There is some gratuitous violence and partial you know what strewn about the film that was a bit troubling and slightly unorthodox, so I found it to be somewhat extreme. This is not a movie appropriate for a young audience, I'd say under 17 - view at your own risk.

This storyline has been done dozens of times, but 'Nowhere' measures up with the best of them. The dubbing is seamless and undetectable for us English speaking folk.

Surprisingly good movie considering the limited cast and location.

When I first saw the preview for this movie my first thoughts were 'crap', 'it's not going to be worth watching look at what it about and basically a cast of one actor' and in a shipping container, in the ocean. But you know what? It worked. I was really surprised but it worked. The emotion are triggered alone with the actor. You're on a roller coaster of WhAt! I'm really impressed especially to leave a review. I really enjoyed it, I have asked my children or my friends as yet if they have seen it and their thoughts on it.

But as I say, don't have any expectations when you go to see a film/movie and you won't be disappointed.