Force of Nature (2020)

Force of Nature is the kind of lean, scrappy thriller that thrives on a great high-concept pressure cooker: a hurricane outside, criminals inside, and a building that turns into a maze of bad decisions and worse timing. Michael Polish leans into B-movie pulp with enough conviction that the movie’s rough edges become part of the appeal, snapping between tense quiet and sudden bursts of action like the storm itself. Mel Gibson brings a grizzled, seen-it-all gravity, while Emile Hirsch keeps the momentum moving with a frantic, boots-on-the-ground urgency that sells the escalating danger. It won’t be for everyone if you’re allergic to knowingly pulpy genre logic, but if you want a breezy, high-energy ride with suspenseful set pieces and flashes of oddball originality, it’s an easy storm to step into.

Force of Nature wants to be a lean, high-concept siege thriller: cops and crooks trapped in an apartment building while a hurricane turns everything into a pressure cooker. The problem is the execution—an incoherent, contrived script and choppy editing make the tension feel manufactured rather than earned, and the action often lands with a thud instead of a punch. It also leans into uncomfortable ethnic stereotyping and treats the Puerto Rico disaster backdrop more like a gimmick than a setting with weight, which can leave a sour taste. If you’re only here for a bit of B-movie chaos and the novelty of Mel Gibson grumbling through a storm, you might find some pulpy enjoyment, but if you want smart plotting, clean choreography, or respectful tone, this isn’t your ride.