‘Below Zero’: The Tense New Spanish Action Thriller On Netflix

A new Spanish movie, Below Zero (Bajocero), was released on Netflix
NFLX
this January 29. This tense action thriller with its central mystery will keep you guessing until the very end. The following may thus contain some minor spoilers.

Directed by Lluís Quílez, who also co-wrote the script with Fernando Navarro, Below Zero follows Martin (Javier Gutiérrez), a National Police Corps officer who was transferred to a new precinct, and assigned to transport prisoners. With his new partner Montesinos, he must drive the heavily armored prisoner transport van over a cold Winter’s night. The operation soon goes horribly wrong when the van is attacked. Martin is now faced with a truckload of prisoners trying to escape, and an unknown assailant.

This is a movie that will keep you on your toes, as the story keeps evolving into unexpected directions. The twists and turns do seem a little far-fetched, but Below Zero is overall an entertaining ride, especially for those who enjoy action thrillers with a little bit of mystery. The film also builds enough sympathy for Martin’s character to make you keep watching.

The movie, however, does not open with Martin’s character. In a very violent opening sequence, Below Zero begins with a man, whose face remains in the shadows, chasing a younger man named Chino. As he beats him up, the man keeps asking Chino where “she” is. The significance of this opening sequence will not come into light until much later in the movie.

Instead, the following sequence introduces the viewers to its protagonist, Martin, a family man with two daughters, who will change his car tire under the pouring rain. When Martin arrives at the precinct where he was just transferred to, he finds out that for his first assignment he must transport prisoners to another prison overnight. He is partnered with Montesinos (Isak Férriz), an officer who is a little too rough with prisoners and who likes to wear an earring even though it is against the rules. Contrary to his partner, Martin likes to abide by the rules and the law.

They decide to take a quicker route through country roads, where they are unaware, a man is waiting for them. The film holds the mystery around this man as long as possible. When the van is attacked and brought to a stop, Martin and Montesinos are being shot at by someone hiding in the woods. Martin finds shelter inside the van with the prisoners, who each hope an accomplice has come to help them escape. The mysterious man’s agenda is however more sinister.

It is the mystery of who that man is and what he wants that drives the whole film. But it is not, however, the only thing that keeps the viewers’ attention. Quílez and Navarro have furnished each character with enough little details to keep them interesting. This is particularly true for one of the prisoners, Ramis (Luis Callejo), who had planned initially to escape himself, and turns out to have performed for Martin’s wedding.

The film, however, takes numerous leaps that are too far-fetched serving only as a means to drive the story forward. For example, was the assailant really able to replace both front tires of the van by himself as well as restart the engine so rapidly? This is though easily overlooked for two reasons. Because, first, you’ll want to know how Martin gets out of this mess, and second, the film delivers on the mystery surrounding the assailant and his motives.

Below Zero is already at the top of Netflix’s Top 10 Movies in numerous countries, including the U.S., a day after its release. It is a suspenseful thriller with an intriguing mystery at its center and an engaging main character.