'Snowpiercer' may be the future of movies and that's a good thing

Tilda Swinton in Snowpiercer

Good old fashioned word-of-mouth and widespread critical acclaim has accompanied two recent, "small" movies -- Boyhood, which I intend to see shortly, and the gonzo sci-fi epic Snowpiercer, which I caught last night on-demand (more on that in a second).

Snowpiercer is an odd curio. It boasts an eclectic international cast (including Captain America himself Chris Evans), solid production values and an exciting original premise.

It's the year 2031. Global warming has largely destroyed the planet, the lone survivors live aboard an incredibly souped-up super train but are brutally segregated by class.

Despite such a unique and timely premise, the movie is barely getting a release in theaters and is being offered simultaneously for an affordable price for viewers to download and watch at home. The production of the movie, directed by South Korean Bong Joon-ho, was apparently somewhat plagued by conflict, with Joon-ho reportedly clashing with producer Harvey Weinstein over the film's length. Still, you'd think a movie with plenty of action and rave reviews would get a real chance to capitalize on the marketplace.

It's been a disappointing season for summer movies both financially and critically.The year's biggest film -- also starring Chris Evans -- is the latest Captain America film, a solid superhero flick, but in my opinion not a movie that really reinvigorates the genre. Other than 22 Jump Street, the new Planet of the Apes and the new X-Men film, most of the big event movies have stumbled. The summer could have used Snowpiercer, instead viewers have had to discover the movie on their own.

This may be where the industry is headed. Costs continue to skyrocket while attendance is either stagnant or dropping. Young people are rarely drawn to theaters in droves anymore and the studios are content to churn out sequels or films based on established brands/franchises to appeal to an increasingly crucial foreign market. So where do discerning adult American filmgoers go?

Well, for one thing, they're flocking to television more and more -- especially when programming like House of Cards and Breaking Bad can rival many mainstream films for quality and impact. But the industry and audiences are also still embracing new avenues to provide and access content, and Snowpiercer seems to be a sign of things to come.

Chris Evans in Snowpiercer

If it is, I'm heartened, because this is a bold, unapologetically political adventure that I think will resonate far longer than most of the mainstream record-breaking fare. It's not a flawless movie, but it is an endlessly inventive one that really sticks with you after the credits have finished rolling.

I must admit I approached the movie with a certain level of cynicism. I thought 'yet another post-apocalyptic thriller'? Boring. And Chris Evans? Boring. But the movie rises above its genre conventions and Evans shows new depth I've never seen from him before. I was a big fan of Jong-hoo's breakout 2006 film The Host, where he had fun both sending up and revitalizing the monster movie, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.

Just like in The Host, Snowpiercer wears its politics on its sleeve. Evans leads a sympathetic cohort of unfortunate souls condemned to live at the back of the train, where they are fed only a mush of protein and their children can be snatched away for God knows what. The film quickly establishes the downtrodden as our heroes and the decadent 1% who inhabit the front of the train as the enemy.

The climate change backdrop is compelling, as is Tilda Swinton's deliriously over-the-top and barely recognizable turn as a shill for the mysterious Wilford, who constructed the train's "sacred" engine and appears to control the train's rigid hierarchy from his isolated perch. There are elements of Terry Gilliam's work here and the Mad Max movies, but what sticks out most for me about Snowpiercer is its truly international flavor.

Evans does his leading man thing, but Kang-ho Song (a Korean actor and one of the stars of The Host) is nearly his equal and his part doesn't contain an ounce of cliche. It was also nice to see Octavia Spencer is a terrific turn that eschews wisecracks for genuine pathos. The movie does have a sense of humor, but its earnestness is what's most refreshing.

I'm not sure if it'll make my top 10 list, we're still months away from the "quality" movie season which now seems be shrinking each year, but Snowpiercer is great entertainment and a real dose of originality during a sequel-obsessed summer.