When it comes to post-apocalyptic survival thrillers, acclaimed filmmaker George Nolfi is kicking it up a notch with his creature-feature-driven horror movie, Elevation. Conveying a refreshing take on the genre through human vulnerability and terrors of the unknown, the director, best known for his work in The Adjustment Bureau and The Banker, uses nuanced storytelling to explore some very grounded fears in the face of overwhelming odds. Juxtaposing the stunning landscapes of the Colorado Rockies with a creeping terror of hard-shelled monsters called “Reapers,” Nolfi admits to Collider that these creatures were designed to evoke an unsettling, predatory presence. But it was also a rather “lengthy process” inspired by “nature’s own creatures” and movement, as he shares.

Pulling viewers into a world where isolation, beauty, and fear collide, Elevation reimagines the apocalypse genre to create a subtle, creeping dread while focusing on what Nolfi describes as an “almost idyllic Garden of Eden-like lifestyle.” But as this serene lifestyle is overshadowed by a lurking darkness, there is a lot more where that comes from. While the film follows characters Will (Anthony Mackie) and Nina (Morena Baccarin) as they navigate survival in the hauntingly quiet wilderness, the film’s finale opens up the possibility of franchise potential in the vein of A Quiet Place — and it’s one Nolfi is ready to explore.

Why Can’t the Reapers Survive Past 8,000-Feet in ‘Elevation’?
“We have always had an answer to that… we’d like to do it in the next movie.”

Elevation doesn’t just leave audiences with chills, it also raises questions about survival and humanity’s future. But mainly — why can’t those weird, giant gross creatures survive past 8,000 feet? As Will and Nina try to understand how these creatures have overthrown the planet, the film’s ending is purposely left ambiguous, which, according to Nolfi, was part of the plan all along. “There are sort of two reveals at the end that raise more questions,” he says, referring to subtle hints for a follow-up movie. The question of why people need to remain “above 8,000 feet” is central to the storyline, and while it remains largely unexplained in Elevation, Nolfi hints at a potential sequel to explore it. “We have always had an answer to that… we’d like to do it in the next movie. For sure,” he says, teasing viewers.

While there is plenty left unanswered, the contrast between these eerie, predatory monsters with the beautiful setting is exactly what the director wanted to achieve in grounding our most basic fears. “I definitely wanted the juxtaposition. I wanted when they’re up there to feel like an almost idyllic Garden of Eden-like lifestyle, and then there’s a strong reason why [Mackie’s character Will] has to go down — to save his kid’s life. The women who accompany him, Morena in particular, has her own agenda, so you can unpack that agenda as you’re going down. So, the distinction between this almost perfect, bucolic, beautiful life at 8,000 feet and above and the horror of what’s below is important thematically for the movie.”

The Horrors of ‘Elevation’ Are in Its Creepy Monsters
“One of the hardest things, and one of the things that takes the longest, is to make that creature move like it would have its own movement.”

Drawing inspiration from nature itself to create a unique, terrifying antagonist, Nolfi brings a fresh twist to the creature feature with his striking aliens that look unlike anything you’ve ever seen. While discussing the intricate process of designing the Reapers, he explains, “You start with visual references…from nature, which I don’t want to spoil, but you can probably imagine what some of those were.”

From initial sketches to complex CGI movements, Nolfi’s team created creatures that feel not just grounded, but otherworldly. As he describes this process, he notes it was essential to make the creature “move like it would have its own movement” rather than mimicking an animal.

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“You look to nature to say, ‘How do creatures move in nature?’ But it’s not a leopard, even though it might have some leopard-like characteristics or big cat-like characteristics. It’s not an insect even though it has some characteristics with that, right?” he says. “You have to design a way that that creature slinks, how it walks, how it trots, how it gallops, and that is a lengthy process. Doing good visual effects, even with all the tools we have now, is lengthy in its design.”

What’s Happening to the ‘Flash Gordon’ Movie?
We might be getting a sequel to ‘The Adjustment Bureau’ by George Nolfi.

With Nolfi known for pushing genre boundaries, the director has long been admired for his sci-fi vision. His adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s The Adjustment Bureau in 2010 pulled in strong critical acclaim, but it’s his relation to the upcoming Flash Gordon movie that has audiences wondering, what’s taking so long for it to finally get produced? After all, Nolfi penned the initial treatment for the film years ago, but with the film bouncing between reports of Taika Waititi producing an animated version and then Collider announcing a live-action version was in the works in 2021, Nolfi now admits it might be the end of the road for his involvement.

“I’m not too involved with that one. There are a couple of things coming up that I can’t talk about that I’m humbled to be involved with,” he says, teasing how it might tie into The Adjustment Bureau. “I think [it] would be in your realm of interest, but I’m not too involved with Flash Gordon at this point.”

Elevation is in theaters now.

n the post-apocalyptic Rockies, a father and two women risk their lives by facing monstrous creatures to save a young boy.Release Date November 8, 2024 Director George Nolfi Cast Anthony Mackie , Morena Baccarin , Maddie Hasson , Danny Boyd Jr. , Ian Hummel , Shauna Earp , James Anthony Perez , Dave Malkoff , Drexel Malkoff , Mike Hickman , Gregg S. Perry , Dalila Orozco Runtime 90 Minutes Writers Jacob Roman , Kenny Ryan

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