Pioneer

Name: Pioneer
Genre: Thriller
Released: December 5, 2014
Duration: 111 min
Rating: 58

2014

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 7 Ratings

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5.6

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5.6	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 7 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: December 5, 2014 | R

Summary: This conspiracy thriller is set in the early 80's, the beginning of the Norwegian Oil Boom. Enormous oil and gas deposits are discovered in the North Sea and the authorities aim to bring the oil ashore through a pipeline from depths of 500 meters. A professional diver, Petter, obsessed with reaching the bottom of the Norwegian Sea has theThis conspiracy thriller is set in the early 80's, the beginning of the Norwegian Oil Boom. Enormous oil and gas deposits are discovered in the North Sea and the authorities aim to bring the oil ashore through a pipeline from depths of 500 meters. A professional diver, Petter, obsessed with reaching the bottom of the Norwegian Sea has the discipline, strength and courage to take on the world's most dangerous mission. But a sudden, tragic accident changes everything. Petter is sent on a perilous journey where he loses sight of who's pulling the strings. Gradually he realizes that he is in way over his head and that his life is at stake. [Magnolia Pictures]… Expand

Director: Erik Skjoldbjærg

Genre(s): Thriller

Rating: R

Runtime: 111 min

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Critic Reviews

Joe Morgenstern

Dec 4, 2014

What’s admirable about Pioneer is its succession of interesting environments, both below and above the water’s surface, and the quietly appealing figure at the center of the international intrigue. Read full review

Sam Weisberg

Dec 2, 2014

The tension never lets up. Read full review

Carson Lund

Nov 30, 2014

Its greatest asset, and another trait it shares with Mann and Fincher's work, is a careful attention toward the particulars of its milieu in a way that doesn't call attention to those period touches. Read full review

Jamie Graham

Apr 7, 2014

Pioneer features underwater sequences so breathless they’ll thrill even James Cameron (director Erik Skjoldbjærg made the original Insomnia) but Petter’s truth-chasing is at times too frantic and melodramatic. Read full review

Empire Angie Errigo

Apr 7, 2014

Political chicanery and psychological mystery entwine with some stunning underwater sequences but don’t gel entirely satisfactorily. Read full review

Walter Addiego

Dec 18, 2014

The movie isn’t really bad, just tepid, and it’s partly redeemed by a good lead performance. Read full review

The Telegraph Mike McCahill

Apr 10, 2014

The more tangled the plot becomes, the more hackneyed Skjoldbaerg’s tactics get. Read full review

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User Reviews

Broyax

Apr 4, 2017

Il ne s'agit pas d'Abyss, ni d'un film d'aventures dans les abysses, contrairement à ce que pourrait laisser supposer l'affiche ; auquel cas le spectateur se retrouverait enduit d'erreur de la tête aux pieds à l'insu de son plein gré.

Il s'agit plutôt d'un thriller comploteur et d'uneIl ne s'agit pas d'Abyss, ni d'un film d'aventures dans les abysses, contrairement à ce que pourrait laisser supposer l'affiche ; auquel cas le spectateur se retrouverait enduit d'erreur de la tête aux pieds à l'insu de son plein gré.

Il s'agit plutôt d'un thriller comploteur et d'une recherche de la vérité, laquelle se trouve naturellement ailleurs, dans des sphères et des intérêts gouvernementaux qui n'ont d'yeux que pour l'or noir, fût-il à plus de 300m de profondeur...

Ainsi, les ouvriers plongeurs chargés de souder un pipeline en font-ils éventuellement les frais, car à cette profondeur et cette pression, ils doivent respirer quelque chose pour les aider à rester debout. Le film dépeint ces enjeux avec un réalisme certain, nous baignant dans la paranoïa (indissociable du complot) au fur et à mesure que le plongeur cobaye se met à fouiner, tel un Fox Mulder aux aguets, la truffe au vent et les oreilles en éventail.

Cependant, malgré ses très bonnes intentions, le film demeure laborieux et se traîne en longueurs. Il ne parvient pas à restituer la tension propre au genre et sa fin mi-figue mi-raisin n'est pas vraiment satisfaisante. Il hésite également trop souvent entre son approche réaliste et le thriller à l'américaine, ce qui le rend quelque peu bancal.

Il reste néanmoins assez digne d'intérêt, comme un gros épisode d'X-Files pas trop mal dégrossi mais sans les proctologues de l'espace.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

CameraBounceGod

Sep 9, 2015

The first user review...that is quite the honor i must say....other than wanting to to 100 meters or the gas ....i like how he makes a run for it with the folder;...but its definately not an interesting conspircy thriller ....hard to believe it will have a good ending

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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