By Susan Granger
If you’re watching your budget and wary about paying for pricy streaming services, here’s some good news…Radical Entertainment has placed the fan-favorite, post-apocalyptic “Snowpiercer” TV series on free, ad-supported platforms like Roku, Pluto TV, Tubi, Plex and The CW.
Set more than seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland as the result of a climate experiment gone wrong, “Snowpiercer” is a compelling exploration of social injustice, class warfare and the politics of survival aboard a high-speed bullet train that has been encircling the glacial planet.
Like a futuristic Noah’s Ark for humans, there are 1001 cars, and it soon becomes obvious that each car contains a new layer of power and resistance.
Based on South Korean filmmaker Boon Joon-ho’s first English-language movie, it’s action-packed. Passengers are strictly segregated by class. Compartmentalized order within the convoy is strictly enforced; when anyone complains, his/her arm is inserted into a porthole, frozen and amputated.
Eventually, seeds of rebellion surface in the slum cars, led by Andre Layton (Daveed Diggs), an ex-homicide detective from Chicago who lives in squalor at the back of the train. He’s forced back into his mystery-solving roots after Melanie Cavill (Jennifer Connelly), the Head of Hospitality, recruits him to investigate two murders.
Layton’s sidekick is Bess Till (Mickey Sumner), a brakeman assigned to accompany him, while Melanie’s assistant is Ruth Wardell (Allison Wright); her responsibilities include communicating with the Tailies and enforcing orders.
The most enigmatic character is known as Mr. Wilford (Sean Bean) whose voice is omnipresent. He mentored Melanie until she stole the train from him. As the story unfolds, he returns aboard a train with advanced technology called ‘Big Alice.’
Based on a 1982 French graphic novel and adapted by showrunner Graeme Manson (“Orphan Black”), it’s propelled by imaginative visuality and gripping suspense, which more than compensates for the heavy-handed dystopian allegory.
Seasons 1-3 are available to binge-watch now with season 4 coming this summer.
On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Snowpiercer” hurtles by with an exciting, edge-of-your-seat 7, a wild ride. All aboard Snowpiercer!
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Susan Granger
Westport resident Susan Granger grew up in Hollywood, studied journalism with Pierre Salinger at Mills College and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with highest honors in Journalism. In addition to writing for newspapers and magazines, she has appeared on radio and television as an anchorwoman and movie critic for many years. Read all her reviews at susangranger.com.
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