Whiteout (2009) is an interesting film thriller directed by Dominic Siena. The plot is centered on the US Marshal Stetko who is involved in the usage of the Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber book titled Whiteout. It stars actresses Kate Beckinsale as U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko whose interest in a murder which she investigates leads her into Antarctica’s only documented death: a killing which has occurred in Antarctica.
Plot Summary
The action kicks off with Carrie Stetko who is about to head back home after spending several years in Antarctica actively serving at a remote base, but as her plans suggest, those do not go as she wishes when a body turns up in the frozen landscape. Investigating the circumstances, Stetko gets closer to unraveling the mystery of the Satellite ‘Gulag’ star-couple, the secret of a crashed Soviet plane and its armament. Searching for the assassin and fighting the extreme weather conditions of Antarctica, Stetko knows that time is not on her side as a heavy storm is on the way.
Main Cast
- Kate Beckinsale as Carrie Stetko
- Gabriel Macht as Robert Pryce, a UN investigator aiding Stetko
- Tom Skerritt as Dr. John Fury, the base’s medical officer
- Columbus Short as Delfy, a pilot and Stetko’s close ally
Themes
- Isolation and Survival: The film captures the psychological and physical toll of living in an extreme environment.
- Trust and Betrayal: As the plot thickens, the question of whom Stetko can trust becomes critical.
- Nature as Adversary: The hostile Antarctic landscape is as much a character as the humans, serving as a deadly backdrop to the unfolding mystery.
Critical Reception
Whiteout has been described as variable to the negative side; those who did view it appreciate the film’s chilly look and its location but take issue with its slow pacing and tendency to stick to tried and tested thriller conventions. While there was a scope for a different kind of story inhabiting the beautiful setting, a few reviewers remarked that the movie version did justice to the graphic novel’s brutality and fury to a certain limit. The film has a low rating on most of the review sites aggregating user reviews. Fans of Beckinsale and survival thrillers may however enjoy the atmosphere of the film.
Production Insights
- In order to achieve the feel of Antarctica, the film was set in the freezing cold of Manitoba Canada.
- The whiteout conditions are blindingly intense snowstorms that obscure vision and distance which were added as a focus of the film.
- Beckinsale made sure to put herself through the various difficulties which come with working in subzero weather.
Recommendations
If you enjoyed Whiteout, you might like:
- The Thing (1982): A classic Antarctic horror-mystery blending isolation and paranoia.
- Wind River (2017): A crime thriller set in a similarly desolate and unforgiving environment.
- Frozen (2010): A survival thriller set in extreme cold.
Would you like to explore any of these recommendations further or learn about a specific aspect of Whiteout?
