Global warming is the monster in a story about oil workers in Alaska. Ron Pearlman plays a cantankerous company stooge at odds with a young tree-hugger getting in the way of his profits and girlfriend. There’s much in common with The Thing — a harsh and isolated environment, a claustrophobic and paranoia-inducing base, and volatile characters working each other up. The only thing lacking is…well, the “thing.” The underlying ecological disaster is apparent but doesn’t explain the spooky stuff whittling down the crew. Weird noises, nosebleeds and madness are chalked up to a vague force being unleashed by the rape of the tundra. Cast members are killed off in increasing speed but there’s no tangible reason to get our pulses racing. Allusions to our melting planet made me nervous but as a horror movie it needs more substance.

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