I have been lost for words in regards to writing this review, and not in a good way. The Mountain Between Us is a survival drama thriller film starring Idris Elba and Kate Winslet. The story consists of two strangers who endure a plane crash, only to be stranded on a remote snow-covered mountain. The characters Ben and Alex must put aside their differences and work together if they want to survive.
When I first heard about this film, I was very excited to see it as I am a fan of both Idris Elba and Kate Winslet. Idris Elba plays Ben, a surgeon who needs to get to another city for a patient’s surgery and Kate Winslet plays Alex, a journalist with a wedding tomorrow, also in another city. Whilst the two actors give committed performances, their talents could not distract me from the massive plot holes and extremely farfetched script. Although there are romantic scenes between Ben and Alex, their chemistry and interactions felt forced, frustrating and cliché with very little character development. We never really emotionally connect and get to know who the characters are, despite what we are blatantly fed.
The cinematography and landscape views of the snowy mountains are stunning. However, the editing behind this film is poor with many unnecessary scenes and lingering moments that could have been trimmed. The trailer makes this film seem more exciting and thrilling than it actually is. There is a lack of suspense and sense of true danger despite the situation the characters are in. It doesn’t help that the characters also have an unconvincing third companion; a dog who doesn’t seem to be distressed at all despite having a lack of food and being stranded on a cold mountain.
I found The Mountain Between Us to be very slow and quite painful to watch. It felt like forever for the story to find its ending. Good premise, but poorly executed.