For a filmmaker who often struggles to say anything new, Alejandro González Iñárritu benefits from letting The Revenant (2015) be what it is—a visually striking, straightforward survival tale. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Hugh Glass, a 19th-century frontiersman left for dead after a brutal bear attack.
‘The Revenant’ Movie Review
The Revenant (2015) might be as close as I’ll ever get to fully enjoying an Alejandro González Iñárritu film. While his work often leans into self-indulgence—whether through the meta posturing of Birdman or the grating self-reflection of Bardo—this film largely sidesteps that pitfall. Instead, The Revenant strips things down to a primal survival story, focusing on raw spectacle rather than existential musings about art and life.
What certainly helps is Iñárritu’s collaboration with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, whose breathtaking imagery of vast, unforgiving landscapes sets the perfect stage for this tale of endurance and revenge. Of course, the stunning visuals came at a cost—the production was notoriously grueling, with weather forcing the shoot to relocate from Canada to Argentina to find enough snow. But despite the behind-the-scenes turmoil, the film delivers on its immersive, visceral experience.
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Hugh Glass, a 19th-century frontiersman left for dead after a brutal bear attack. His abandonment is led by Tom Hardy’s John Fitzgerald, who believes keeping Glass alive will only slow down the group’s survival. With reluctant assistance from Will Poulter’s Jim Bridger, Fitzgerald stays behind to ensure Glass’ burial—only to grow impatient and murder Glass’ son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck) before fleeing. What follows is an arduous, 157-minute trek through icy wilderness as Glass fights to survive and exact revenge.
The criticisms of The Revenant are fair—it’s punishingly long and noticeably drags in its final hour. The film is at its best when it leans into its moral dilemmas, such as whether to sacrifice one man for the greater good. The ensemble cast thrives when sharing scenes, but when Glass is alone, the movie relies almost entirely on a viewer’s patience and its awe-inspiring scenery. At times, it feels more like a survivalist documentary than a narrative feature. Maybe Iñárritu should consider making nature films?
Still, The Revenant plays to Iñárritu’s strengths: grand-scale spectacle and intense, immersive storytelling. The simplicity of its premise works in his favor, allowing him to focus on visceral set pieces rather than overwrought themes.
DiCaprio delivers a committed, physically grueling performance that finally won him his long-awaited Best Actor Oscar. While he’s solid here, it’s hard not to see this as the Academy making up for past snubs—his collaborations with Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino arguably showcase more depth. Meanwhile, Hardy provides much-needed energy to break up the film’s more meditative stretches, earning a Best Supporting Actor nomination (ultimately losing to Mark Rylance in Bridge of Spies).
READ MORE MOVIE REVIEWS: Blackhat, Creed, Ant-Man
For a filmmaker who often struggles to say anything new, Iñárritu benefits from letting The Revenant be what it is—a visually striking, straightforward survival tale. With his next film starring Tom Cruise, perhaps he’ll lean into spectacle once again. If so, I’ll be on board.
Score: 7/10
The Revenant (2015)
- Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Forrest Goodluck, Lukas Haas
- Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
- Genre: Adventure, Drama, Western
- Runtime: 157 minutes
- Rated: R
- Release Date: December 16, 2015
