Survive (2020) [Blu-ray review]

The harrowing journey of two troubled strangers brought together by tragedy takes center stage in director Mark Pellington’s tense thriller Survive. This compelling character study provides a stark look at mental health struggles and the will to survive against seemingly insurmountable odds. Now available on Blu-ray, this gritty drama offers stunning visuals and captivating performances that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

A Timely Exploration of Trauma and Its Aftermath

Released in 2020 as a Quibi Original, Survive’s themes of trauma, addiction and the search for meaning feel particularly resonant. As our society grapples with collective grief and uncertainty, this film holds up a mirror to the human capacity for resilience.

At its core, Survive is about two people haunted by their pasts, portrayed brilliantly by Sophie Turner and Corey Hawkins. Turner plays Jane, a young woman battling depression and suicidal urges. Hawkins is Paul, a man riddled with guilt over a childhood trauma. Both are patients at a mental health facility, struggling to overcome their inner demons.

When their transport plane crashes high in the snowy mountains, Jane and Paul must summon extraordinary courage to find their way back to civilization. Their harrowing journey through the wilderness becomes a parable for the difficult road to recovery from psychological anguish.

Pellington handles this weighty subject matter with nuance and compassion. The characters’ backstories are gradually revealed through flashbacks and conversation, illuminating the sources of their pain. Survive invites the viewer to empathize with their all-too-human frailties.

Hypnotic Visuals Capture Nature’s Majesty and Menace

Shot on location in the mountains of British Columbia, Survive is a visually striking experience. Snow-capped peaks stretch endlessly toward the sky as Jane and Paul traverse rocky cliffs and dense forest. The muted grey and blue hues evoke the numbness of depression. Narrow camera angles punctuated by wide panoramic shots accentuate the characters’ isolation within the vast wilderness.

As much as the landscape offers moments of tranquility, it also harbors constant danger. Jane and Paul must brave perilous snowstorms, thin ice, steep drops and hungry wolves. The environment itself becomes an adversary in their fight to make it back to civilization. These sequences quicken the pulse and make one feel the full intensity of the life-or-death stakes.

The dreamlike interplay of light and shadow provides striking visual motifs. Whether trudging through the woods or huddled in a makeshift snow cave, Jane and Paul are continually plunged from light into darkness. This echoes their precarious mental states as they oscillate between hope and despair.

Riveting Performances from Turner and Hawkins

As the two anchoring leads, Sophie Turner and Corey Hawkins both deliver career-defining performances. Though their characters start as strangers, we come to feel invested in their shared destiny through the actors’ magnetic portrayals.

Turner, known for Game of Thrones, is revelatory as the brooding, enigmatic Jane. She captures her character’s fragility and steely determination with equal conviction. We can see the weight of Jane’s trauma etched in Turner’s haunted, thousand-yard stares. Her supporting work in X-Men notwithstanding, this marks a true breakout as a leading lady.

Equally impressive is Corey Hawkins as the stoic but tormented Paul. Hawkins, fresh off acclaimed roles in Straight Outta Compton and BlacKkKlansman, has the gravitas to make Paul’s quiet intensity riveting. The pain behind his eyes tells of unspoken horrors, while his survival skills suggest a man of action. Hawkins strikes a delicate balance between toughness and vulnerability.

As Jane and Paul shed their hardened exteriors and forge an unlikely connection, Turner and Hawkins generate palpable chemistry. Their interactions feel touchingly honest and human.

A Testament to the Human Spirit

Beneath its chilling alpine setting, Survive tells an uplifting story about the resilience of the human spirit. Jane and Paul each carry deep scars from past trauma, through which they struggle to hope, trust and love again. Their journey through the snowy hellscape becomes a baptism, allowing them to shed their emotional baggage and embrace life.

Pellington’s empathetic direction paired with the leads’ affecting performances make Jane and Paul’s transformation believable. The final shots, which mirror the stunning opening sequence, come full circle to find the characters in a more hopeful place, ready to face their uncertain futures.

Survive reminds us that human beings have an incredible capacity to overcome suffering and find meaning. By confronting our emotional demons, we can emerge wiser and more appreciative of each breath. Though the road is difficult, we need not walk it alone.

The Survive Blu-ray is full of Compelling Special Features

Now available on Blu-ray, Survive lets home viewers immerse themselves in this life-affirming story of trauma and transcendence. The picture quality is crystalline, capturing every snowflake and icy cliff face in breathtaking detail. Special features delve deeper into the film’s powerful themes.

Deleted scenes provide additional glimpses into Jane and Paul’s lives before the crash. A breakdown of the grueling mountain shoot illuminates how filmmakers brought the harsh alpine environment to life. Most fascinating of all are the interviews with Turner, Hawkins and director Pellington, who share candid insights on relating to their characters.

Through these bonus features, we gain a greater sense of the dedication required to authentically convey mental illness and emotional healing onscreen. Survive comes to home release as a complete portrait of the recovery process.

An Unflinching and Cinematic Tale of Trauma

Survive distills a haunting, thoughtful rumination on trauma into a tense survival thriller. Led by captivating performances from Turner and Hawkins, the film captures both the ravaging and restorative sides of the human psyche. Backed by stunning visuals and an empathetic directorial vision, this harrowing tale cuts to our core.

Now available on Blu-ray with illuminating special features, Survive comes highly recommended. The movie reminds us that we all carry pain, yet possess the capacity to find light within our own darkness. By confronting suffering with compassion, we can write a new chapter filled with hard-won wisdom. Like Jane and Paul, we must navigate the icy passageways of life toward gentler slopes.

Survive goes from Quibi to Blu-ray

Survive comes to Blu-ray with all 12 Quibi episodes edited into one movie. You don’t get any special features with the release. However, I’m enjoying having the Quibi original content having new ways to reach a wider audience. The A/V Quality is immense, but at large times you can tell the movie was made for a non traditional TV platform.

The whites get a bit washed out and some of the therapy sessions look soft. It’s not the worst, but I found it distracting. Still, I’d recommend Survive.

Survive is now available on Blu-ray