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Below Zero sees conscientious and experienced cop Martín (Javier Gutiérrez) partaking in a prisoner transfer, which are sometimes carried out at night for security reasons. Going down the back roads to Cuenca, this is a high-risk transfer due to one of the rag-tag bunch in the armoured truck – Rei (Édgar Vittorino) – being the Romanian boss of an international criminal gang, and involved in both arms and human trafficking.
Martin is partnered with Montesinos (Isak Férriz), a hothead who just wants to beat up any of the prisoners being transferred who get on his wick.
Not long into the overnight journey, and the truck is hijacked by a rather organised individual, setting out spikes along the road, disabling the truck’s escort, and ready to free one of the prisoners. Are they after Rei, or someone else?
Along the way, one inmate plans to break out of his cell in the transporter when he gets the chance, when they have have spare time, some of them begin talking about what they did to get in there, and as we learn what the hijacker wants and the reasons for it, the events do lead to a brilliant, tense drama.
Below Zero does does require some suspension of disbelief at times, and it’s very apt that this is on Netflix now, just as the weather is getting worse and ever more cold.
The film is an 18-cert because of a couple of graphic scenes including when one person gets their head bashed in, but I wouldn’t have thought they were 18-cert worthy, since they’re clearly fake. However, I’d rather see a film uncut than downgraded to a 15-cert just so as to get more bums on seats in a cinema (which happens a lot in the UK… if you remember cinemas).
Below Zero is on Netflix now, but isn’t yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 106 minutes
Release date: January 29th 2021
Studio: Netflix
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Rating: 8/10
Director: Lluís Quílez
Producers: Josep Amorós, Pedro Uriol
Screenplay: Lluís Quílez, Fernando Navarro
Music: Zacarías M de la Riva
Cast:
Martín: Javier Gutiérrez
Montesinos: Isak Férriz
Miguel: Karra Elejalde
Ramis: Luis Callejo
Gollum: Andrés Gertrúdix
Rei: Édgar Vittorino
Pardo: Miquel Gelabert
Mihai: Florin Opritescu
Chino: Àlex Monner
Nano: Patrick Criado
Bárbara: Carla Chiorazzo
Elena: Eva Manjón
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.