For most people, Chris Evans is best known for his Marvel roles and for good reason. The actor starred as Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years, and before that was Johnny Storm in Fox’s Fantastic Four movies. But Marvel roles aren’t his only forays into the world of comics adaptations. He also starred as Lucas Lee in Scott Pilgrim vs the World — a film that featured two other future MCU favorites, Brie Larson and Aubrey Plaza), as well as in the adaptation of Vertigo’s The Losers. But there’s one comics adaptation in Evans’ filmography that people tend to forget about that is honestly one of his best performances — and it’s about to leave free streaming in just over a week.
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Leaving Tubi on October 1st is 2014’s Snowpiercer. The film, directed by Bong Joon-ho, is based on the graphic novel from Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand, and Jean-Marc Rochette and is a brilliant sci-fi dystopia. The film is set in a future that sees the world nearly completely frozen over after an attempt at climate engineering intended to stop global warming has, instead, created something called Snowball Earth. The last remnants of humanity survive on board the Snowpiercer, a train that circles the globe. But while the train keeps the last of humanity out of the frozen wastes of Earth, it isn’t necessarily a great place. The train is divided by class and, in the film, Evans stars as Curtis Everett, a lower-class passenger who leads a rebellion against the elite at the front of the Snowpiercer train. The film was very well received by critics and audiences, but what might be the really interesting thing about it is that while it’s a great movie, it’s the television adaptation that most people know — and it’s even better.
Snowpiercer is a Great Movie But Somehow, the TV Series Is Even Better
Evans’ Snowpiercer movie is a great watch. There’s a good bit of action in the film, but what really makes it interesting is that it is also a very gruesome and intense film. The reality of what the poor, lower class at the back or the train endures and must resort to in order to survive is honestly upsetting and there are scenes that will punch you in the gut and haunt you for long after the credits roll. Evans in particular is excellent in the film, a strong reminder of how solid his range actually is as a performer because Curtis is most definitely not Captain America. But even for how good Snowpiercer is, the film doesn’t exactly get deep into the politics and values that drive this bleak world. This is a story that is more about the revolution rather than the actual situation.
And that’s where the Snowpiercer television series comes in. Based on both the film and the graphic novel, the television series premiered on May 17, 2020, on TNT and would ultimately run for four seasons. The general story set up is the same, following the passengers of the perpetually moving Snowpiercer as it goes around the world with the last of humanity after Earth has become a frozen waste. However, the two projects aren’t necessarily connected to one another. The series largely functions as something of a reboot or a reimagining of the basic concept and there are some big differences. The television series is set 7 years after the freeze (the movie is set around 17 years later) and there are some other detail differences as well. The biggest is that instead of approaching the story through revolution, the series frames things around a murder investigation in its first season — though it does, eventually get to revolution.
Because the television series has more space to build out its world and explore concepts, the television series is able to really dig into the politics of its world. You get a better understanding of the class divide that ultimately leads to an actual class war. It makes for a much more intense story and shifts the viewer investment. It also creates a rare situation where you have a television version of a movie adaptation that is not only its own thing but is arguably better than an already great movie. You don’t have to take our word for it, though. Snowpiercer the television series is also free to stream on Tubi, though if you plan to watch both the movie and the series to compare, don’t delay. The movie leaves October 1st.
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Courtesy of Vertical Entertainment
