Latest news with #Nowhere
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I just discovered this forgotten Netflix survival thriller movie — and I'm kicking myself for missing it the first time
When it comes to new Netflix movies, I consider myself pretty on the ball. After all, it's literally my job to be aware of the latest release on the streaming service. However, I'll admit to dropping the proverbial ball when it comes to 'Nowhere.' This Spanish survival thriller landed on Netflix back in September 2023, and clearly, I must have been busy that day, because it came and went without me noticing. I apologize for the oversight. Earlier this week, while combing through the Netflix library for an article on the best single-location movies on the platform, I stumbled upon this original movie, and based on the intriguing poster alone, I immediately added it to the top of my watchlist. Having now streamed the movie, I'm pleased I happened to (belatedly) discover it, because this thriller is an extremely intense ride, anchored by a phenomenal leading performance. It's by no means perfect, but I was hooked for the entire runtime. So, if you're looking for a Netflix movie to give you a jolt of excitement over the weekend, 'Nowhere' is certainly one to consider. Need more details? Let's dive into why this survival thriller is so effective. Set in a dystopian future, where climate change, overpopulation and dwindling resources have plunged the world into chaos, Mia (Anna Castillo) and Nico (Tamar Novas) are a husband and wife attempting to flee Spain after it's been taken over by a ruthless regime. Nico and a heavily pregnant Mia pay a group of smugglers to help them cross the border and escape to Ireland on a cargo ship, one of the few remaining countries with a still-functioning democratic society. They are instructed to hide in large shipping containers with dozens of others also looking to flee. However, they are soon separated into different containers ahead of crossing a military checkpoint. The situation escalates further when Mia's container is knocked overboard during a violent storm, and she finds herself alone, trapped in the container as it drifts in the ocean and slowly fills up with water. Mia must attempt to survive and find a way to be reunited with Nico, not just for herself, but for her unborn child as well. 'Nowhere' is a rare survival thriller that made me shiver. The thought of being trapped in a slowly sinking shipping container is pure nightmare fuel. The fact that the movie's protagonist is also pregnant and due to give birth at any moment only adds to the sense of hopelessness in the situation. It's intense, but also makes for thrilling viewing. Much of the movie's strength comes from Mia herself and the performance of Anna Castillo. While Mia is a vulnerable character and initially seems to despair in her horrific situation, this misery soon gives way to a powerful drive to survive. Ultimately, Mia is a very capable heroine. Castillo is fantastic, showcasing both sides of the character in some impressively subtle ways. The narrative largely follows the usual survival thriller tropes. Mia's survival hinges on her solving a series of problems, from a lack of food to finding a way to call for help, to the biggest hurdle, the fact that the container is slowly filling up with seawater and will sink in a matter of days. And while this structure isn't unique, your eagerness to see Mia survive keeps you hooked until the end. Like many flicks in the genre, 'Nowhere' touches on Mia's tragic backstory, which helps to contextualize her survival efforts, and is used effectively in one quite spooky sequence in the film's second half. Yes, this probably all sounds routine if you've watched similar films, but it's impactful nevertheless. The first act, where we see Mia and a group of fellow refugees stopped at a military checkpoint, is another supremely well-crafted sequence. Director Albert Pintó wrings every ounce of suspense as an officer slowly inspects the container while the hidden passenger holds their breath, praying they're not discovered. To show the brutality of the ruling government, an especially blood-chilling moment of violence is included, but it feels pretty unnecessary and little more than cheap shock value. The movie really didn't need to go that far. I would have liked a little more explanation of how the movie's (fictional) totalitarian government came to power. Of course, such an extended exploration of the movie's dystopian future isn't necessarily meant to tell Mia's story, but I was left with unanswered questions, which was a little unsatisfying. Plus, there's a certain amount of narrative convenience you'll need to excuse if you want to enjoy the movie to its fullest. Those who love picking at plot holes might find themselves tearing "Nowhere" apart. While 'Nowhere' isn't looking to reinvent the survival genre, it hits all the genre beats with aplomb. The material, which veers into melodrama, is elevated by Anna Castillo, and the ending brings things to an appropriately bittersweet conclusion. I'm very pleased that I happened to come across this movie while browsing Netflix's extensive library. For any genre fans out there, I encourage you to also circle back if you missed the movie back in 2023. I don't think you'll regret streaming this intense thriller that showcases the powerful urge for self-preservation that only comes to the surface during do-or-die situations. Set in a grisly vision of the future (one that feels alarmingly plausible) 'Nowhere' is a reminder that even in the bleakest of times, there is always a reason to keep battling on, and that's a timely message that resonates now, and I suspect will continue to for years to come. Not totally sold on 'Nowhere,' or did you already stream this movie when it released in 2023? Then here's a roundup of everything new on Netflix in June 2025, with plenty of freshly arrived picks.
Scotsman
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Here & Now showcase aims to 'push boundaries' at Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Whether theatre, dance or art installation, the work in this year's Here & Now showcase aims to surprise as well as to entertain, writes Mark Fisher Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... For all the stress, expense and commitment of bringing a show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, there are reasons performers keep coming back. They include the excitement of participating in the world's biggest arts festival, the chance to meet fellow artists and the opportunity to see great shows around the clock. There is also something else: given the right conditions, a run on the Fringe is an invaluable way to be seen by the right people. If you are spotted by a producer, it can sustain your career for the rest of the year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Kate Craddock, artistic director of Here & Now, a showcase of productions from England, gives an example. Last year, the choreographer Patrick Ziza performed Dandyism in Edinburgh and has hardly paused for breath since. 'Their journey has just been incredible,' she says. 'They're going to Brazil, Toronto, Norway, and they've been in New York. They were all direct invitations from the Here & Now delegates. It's extraordinary for them. And that's just one example.' Khalid Abdall in Nowhere | Helen Murray Such success is not a given. The intention of Here & Now, which returns to the Fringe this August, is 'to challenge ideas about what performance created in England might look like'. It is not, in other words, a sturdy collection of classical dramas. No rounded vowels and grand soliloquies here. Rather, it is a line-up of theatre, dance and art installation that aims to surprise as well as to entertain. 'All the works are finished and ready to go but also they're experimenting with form in some way,' says Craddock. 'They're pushing at the boundaries of what you might otherwise see at the Fringe.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As with similar Fringe programmes from countries including Scotland, Belgium and South Korea, Here & Now presents a line-up of half-a-dozen shows that would normally be impossible for international programmers to see in such a short period. This year, it has invited a 30-strong delegation of its own, in addition to the many other programmers who will be in town. 'The level of exposure is unbeatable,' she says. So much for the industry. Craddock is adamant that Here & Now would be nothing if it did not connect with audiences. Brought up in Glasgow and now living in north-east England, she has fashioned a programme she hopes will have local as well as international appeal. 'It's really important to me to make connections with people who are in Edinburgh year round,' says Craddock, who also runs the Gateshead International Festival Of Theatre (GIFT). Andy Smith's A Citizens' Assembly | Ross Finnie Nowhere more is that the case than in Andy Smith's A Citizens' Assembly, a climate crisis show that turns the audience into actors. The aim is to transform us from helpless victims of global heating into activists trying to do something about it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'You're inviting the audience to be the work,' says Craddock. 'It goes from a scripted, constructed conversation to something that is free. I programmed it last year in Newcastle and it resonated with everybody. In Edinburgh, it will be presented in St Columba's by the Castle and we're already inviting climate justice groups and community groups who engage with the church.' The season also includes the welcome return of Last Rites by Glasgow performer Ramesh Meyyappan in collaboration with George Mann, director of Bristol's Ad Infinitum. Seen briefly in Scotland last year, it is both an exquisite portrait of a funeral ritual, as a son lays an estranged father to rest, and an angry condemnation of a society that discriminates against users of sign language. Last Rites by Ad Infinitum | Mihaela Bodlovic Elsewhere, Sleight of Hand by Jo Bannon is a sensory touch tour aiming to make us experience the world anew; Nowhere by Khalid Abdalla is a multimedia reflection on the 2011 Egyptian revolution (Abdalla will be familiar to fans of Netflix series The Crown thanks to his role as Dodi Fayed); and IV by SERAFINE1369 is a dance piece exploring stillness. 'Politics are prevalent this year, and there is a breadth of lived experience and the communities being represented,' says Craddock. At the meeting point of the personal, the political and the joyful is The Legends Of Them by Sutara Gayle. Running at Zoo Southside, it is a one-woman spiritual awakening that reflects a life of extraordinary highs and lows. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Once best known as a reggae singer, under the name of Lorna Gee, Gayle reinvented herself as an actor at the age of 40 and now has a CV that stretches from The Dark Knight to Ghosts. Tragically, in 1985, her sister, Cherry Groce, was paralysed after being shot by the Metropolitan police, a mistake that sparked the Brixton riots. As if that were not enough, Gayle's show also takes in stories of prison, sexual assault and a spiritual renaming ceremony. Sutara Gayle in Legends of Them | Harry Elletson With a mother who was part of the Windrush generation and a sister with a pivotal place in London's history, Gayle sees politics everywhere. 'Even the joyfulness is politics, man!' she grins with the infectious happiness of a woman who has come to terms with her past. Rather than opening old wounds, she has found the process of revisiting these traumas to be liberating. 'It's proven to be very healthy,' says Gayle, whose show emerged from a silent retreat. 'All these stories were coming to me; things I hadn't thought about for 40 years. It was the first time I had been silent in my life and, all of a sudden, these things started coming up. I realised it was stuff I had buried.' She continues: 'Because things were quite traumatic, I chose not to deal with them. This is sometimes what we do. I didn't want to feel that pain again. But if you don't deal with it, it's going to be there. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I held shame for so many years. It stopped me from doing what I really wanted to do. I'm 62 and the rest of my life I'm going to live happy. Anything I do, I'm going to do from a place of joy and love, not fear. I've held on to fear for too long. There came a point when I thought I'm going to bare myself naked. It has been really freeing, a weight off my shoulders. And watching the show sets you free.'
