Title: “Below Zero” (“Bajocero” in Spanish)

Release date: Streaming on Netflix on Jan. 28, 2021

Directed by: Lluis Quilez

Written by: Quilez, Fernando Navarro

Starring: Javier Gutierrez, Patrick Criado, Edgar Vittorino, Alex Monner, Karra Elejalde, Florin Opritescu, Luis Callejo, Miquel Gelabert, Isak Ferriz, Andres Gertrudix, Pol Cardona, Angel Solo

Run time: 1 hour, 46 minutes

Genres: Action/crime drama/survivalist/revenge thriller (in Spanish, with English subtitles)

Rated: TV-MA

Where I saw it: At home on my laptop on a Wednesday night/Thursday morning, on Netflix, free with subscription

What it’s about: A free-spirited police officer (Ferriz as Montesinos) and his by-the-books partner (Gutierrez as Martin), making his first prisoner exchange, find themselves in a fight for their lives when their armored truck full of inmates is attacked in a frigid remote area of east-central Spain.

What I liked about it: “Below Zero” is a dark, tense, brutal, profanity-laced, testosterone-fueled action flick that dabbles in morality play and character study (and does both well) but never loses sight of its status as a man’s man of a thriller. Quilez keeps the action thundering along, the story ebbs and flows like it should in building to its moral conundrum and resolution, and an armored vehicle that has individual cells in the back for the prisoners and a protected cockpit for the driver makes for great close-quarters action and dialogue. The remote, wooded, mountainous region of Spain adds a suitable sense of isolation. And who knew that Spain could get so cold? I didn’t; at first “Below Zero” seems like it might take place in Russia. Or Iceland. This is far from Mediterranean coastal Spain; few movies have as little sunshine as this one. Instead, we get rain, darkness, fog, snow and (as the title suggests) deadly cold. … Martin’s unwillingness to bend is at the heart of the story. He frequently reminds other officers and the prisoners that the law is the law. Problem is, once Martin’s authority is compromised and his life is at stake, he must choose between softening his stance and leaving behind a wife and two young daughters. Coming face-to-face with a man (Elejalde as Miguel) who has lost a teen daughter in the worst possible way (Miguel is quite graphic in describing her death) gives Martin pause for thought. … The script’s strongest and smartest moments take place in the back of the prisoner transport vehicle, as the inmates argue among themselves and discuss such topics as why they are incarcerated and how they have been failed by “the system.” Later, when Martin is forced into the back of the truck, unlikely alliances are formed. Stellar performances come from throughout the ensemble cast of men (females are in the movie only briefly in the early going), the most notable being Callejo as Ramis, a prisoner who fancies himself an artist (he’s mostly a con artist) and is convinced he can escape to the Dominican Republic, where he plans to open a bar. Any hint of humor (this isn’t an action flick of catch phrases and cheesiness) comes from Ramis. … The violence hits hard (these are prisoners, after all). And in one especially bloody scene, I half-expected Clarence Boddicker from “RoboCop” to show up and say, “Well, give the man a hand.”

What I didn’t like about it: Though it is miles ahead of many moderately budgeted action films, “Below Zero” sticks closely to the playbook in terms of story. And though it won’t matter through the entire film, the strict adherence to the mismatched law enforcement officers trope is borderline ridiculous. The loose cannon, Montersinos, defiantly wears an earring and threatens to get a neck tattoo. That way we know he plays by his own rules. … Like other movies of its ilk, “Below Zero” sometimes, despite its seriousness, asks the audience to stretch the bounds of believability, including when, in one late scene, the elements are severe enough that surviving would be highly unlikely. But, hey, it’s just a movie.

Who it should appeal to: Audiences that like their action films beefy, bloody and without cheese.   

My score: 81 out of 100.