Visceral, savage, and beautiful.

Rating: 10/10 (9 January 2016)

The Revenant was fantastic. It's definitely worth seeing in theaters. Movies like this are a truly rare experience.
First of all, the obvious. It is a visual and technical masterpiece. Filmed on location in the wilderness with all natural lighting, this is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. It truly feels like you're placed in the American frontier along with the characters. It's a stunning mix of old, new, and groundbreaking film techniques.
The film makers went through hell in order to create as authentic of an experience as possible. No obvious and glossy CGI special effects here. Even an avalanche was created for real by detonating explosives in a mountain. Also, all of the actors fully committed to look and act the part of hardened wilderness explorers.
However, this movie isn't for everyone. This isn't a romanticized patriotic flick like most Hollywood movies set during America's early history. It's visceral and savage, examining the relentlessness of nature and the harsh reality of frontier life. The fight scenes aren't just set pieces designed to entertain the audience. They're gripping and absolutely brutal. I've seen bloodier movies, but almost none have felt this real. It's obvious that a lot of the stunt work was done by the actors because there are no quick cuts or cheap editing tricks during the action sequences. Even Tom Hardy, who can be seen pole vaulting onto vehicles in Mad Max: Fury Road, was concerned about the safety of some of the stunts he had to perform. That being said, this is NOT an "action" film. Much time is spent on the captivating landscapes and quiet moments of being alone in nature.
The story is simple. It's about the fight for survival over limited resources in the wild. It almost feels like a nature documentary because the people are just another species trying get by. Almost all violence erupts from the need for self preservation. The bear that attacks Glass is simply defending it's cubs. And even the villain of the story is driven by fear, not just because he's the "bad guy". The acting is all phenomenal. There wasn't a single mediocre performance. I doubt we'll ever see a film like The Revenant made again.