Looking for a gripping sci-fi thriller to hunker down with this Sunday evening? Well, how about a film with an A-list cast that has a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes? Snowpiercer is a post-apocalyptic action thriller, starring Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton, which follows the last human survivors who all live aboard a train. Based on Jacques Lob's French graphic novel Le Transperceneige, the 2013 film imagines what the world might look like if it were plunged into a new ice age, exploring the brutal class hierarchy enforced on the passengers of the Snowpiercer.
Why I'm tuning in
As someone who's had this one on their watchlist for a while, I can't wait to catch it when it airs on ITV4 at 9pm on Sunday 31 August. This is one of Chris Evans' most underrated performances, and with the amazing director Bong Joon Ho (Parasite, Mickey 17) at the helm, it's an unmissable watch for fans of dystopian drama – think The Hunger Games meets Titanic! Read on for all the details…
What to expect from Snowpiercer
The story is set in the year 2031, 17 years after a failed climate change experiment launched the Earth into a new ice age. The surviving members of humanity live aboard a train – named the Snowpiercer – which acts as a microcosm of society. Governed by a strict class system, the wealthy elite live a life of luxury at the front of the moving train, while the poor are forced to live in cramped conditions at the back.
Here we meet Curtis Everett (Chris Evans), who, encouraged by his mentor, leads a rebellion from the tail section, fighting their way forward to confront the train's mysterious creator, Wilford (Ed Harris). But as Curtis discovers, not everything is as it seems – and the shocking truth waiting for him could change everything.
Who stars in Snowpiercer?
The A-list talent fronting this film is reason enough to tune in. Leading the way is Chris Evans (Captain America, Defending Jacob) as Curtis, joined by powerhouse actresses Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Chronicles of Narnia) and Octavia Spencer (The Help, Ma).
Joining them is Song Kang-ho (Parasite, Tracer), Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot, All of Us Strangers) and John Hurt (Alien, 1984). Rounding out the cast is Ed Harris (Man in Black, Westworld), Go Ah-sung (Heard It Through the Grapevine, Life on Mars) and Alison Pill (The Newsroom, Star Trek: Picard).
What have critics said about the movie?
With that line-up, it's no surprise Snowpiercer has a 94% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Dubbing it "a riveting ride", The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "Snowpiercer is still an intellectually and artistically superior vehicle to many of the end-of-days futuristic action thrillers out there." The Toronto Sun added: "It's a wicked, violent parable, and one of the only movies of the summer worth talking about after the credits roll." Meanwhile, The Guardian penned: "The way the allegory works out is not exactly subtle or unexpected, but is strangely moving, despite the gruesomeness that has gone before. All in all, a treat."
Snowpiercer is airing on ITV4 at 9pm on Sunday 31 August. It is also available to stream on ITVX now.