With the snowstorm that hit us this week, “Below Zero” seemed like a fitting movie to watch. On Netflix’s top charts recently, this film offers a thrilling plot.

Originally a Spanish movie titled “Bajocero,” just like “Dark,” “3%” or “The Platform,” in “Below Zero” Netflix has dubbed an English voice over the film.

The movie begins as main character Martin (Javier Gutiérres) starts his new job as a National Police Corps officer in Spain. He is assigned to transfer a handful of dangerous prisoners to another facility with his new partner, Montesinos (Isak Férriz).

It’s getting dark out, it’s freezing and there are some unexpected visitors. The van is ambushed, and Montesinos is killed, leaving Martin alone to deal with the prisoners inside and the trouble that’s outside.

Each prisoner is in their own individual cell in the van, but soon, due to the conditions, Martin seems to become outnumbered. The villain on the outside Miguel (Karra Elejalde) wants one specific person from the inside, and he wants him alive. The only way out is by unlocking the door with the key, and if they don’t Miguel threatens to kill them all.

The characters are well developed, but it takes a minute to get to know them and the surprises they all had behind their characters. They go through many conflicts throughout the film, like the heat being shut off and someone swallowing the only key to get out.

The movie has the English audio over it, but it wouldn’t have been the worst idea to just add subtitles. Sometimes with dubbed films some of the aggression or tension that is within the dialogue is lost, which can really change the feel of a movie.

There was always something new to find out or some sort of plot twist happening. It was marketed as a thriller movie, and it definitely had some suspenseful and shocking scenes. The twists weren’t too crazy, just enough to keep the audience entertained. 

There is also a bit of mystery throughout the film. Viewers will wonder: why is this even happening in the first place? Why does Miguel want that one specific prisoner that’s inside? The unknown adds a fun element, thinking about these questions was probably the best part of the movie.

Overall, the film was okay, something entertaining to watch for the night. It had a simple plot line, it was a thrilling watch and was easy to follow. The cold winter night setting fit the film very well, still with “Below Zero” being the title, the cold didn’t have quite the impact you’d expect.

You could either love or hate the ending, depending on how you feel about some ethical questions the film presents. In the end, viewers will have to decide how they feel about Martin, a simple man just wanting to get prisoners from point A to point B.

Rating: 3/5 stars