Snowpiercer

This uncompromising slice of dystopian sci-fi is that rarest of things: a thinking person's action film. It takes place in the year 2031, when the world has been plunged into a second ice age as a result of a failed experiment to prevent global warming. With the planet now uninhabitable, humankind's last survivors live on a self-sustaining train that has been circling the globe for the past 17 years. Each carriage is split into a different class system, and the poor inhabitants at the tail end decide to stage a revolt against the controlling passengers at the front. Nit-pickers will probably find fault with the story's finer details, but the world-building is largely effective and the film is blessed with the inventive craftsmanship of talented film-maker Bong Joon-ho (Parasite), who ensures that the set pieces are both thrilling and visually dynamic. Though some of the tonal shifts don't quite work, Bong's direction is generally masterful and he draws a range of diverse performances from a seasoned international cast, which includes a career-best turn from Chris Evans (Captain America) as the reluctant leader of the have-nots.