‘The Grey’ Was So Good, Roger Ebert Walked Out His Next Movie

Liam Neeson once again proved he was one of the entertainment industry’s most compelling leading men when he starred in the anxiety-inducing survival thriller The Grey. Directed by Joe Carnahan, who most recently made the Netflix hit The Rip, the movie saw the Taken actor stranded in the icy and brutal wilderness stalked by a ravenous pack of grey wolves — but went much deeper than late-career Neeson would suggest.

The Grey was a box office hit when it was released in January 2012, making $81 million on a $25 million budget, cementing its lead as a go-to action star. However, a rather abrupt ending left audiences divided on its real meaning.

One person who was left in shock was Roger Ebert. In fact, the revered film critic was so deeply affected by the pulse-pounding thriller that he ended up walking out before a different film’s screening began due to its impact. Let’s take a closer look at The Grey and its profound impression on the late and great Ebert.

Liam Neeson’s Pulse-Pounding Survival Thriller

The Grey is a taut and atmospheric adaptation of Ian MacKenzie Jeffers’ short story “Ghost Walker” that tells the ominous tale of a group of oil workers who become stranded in the Alaskan wilderness when their plane crashes, leaving them vulnerable to not only the brutal elements but also a pack of grey wolves. Neeson portrays expert sharpshooter John Ottway, who protected the crew at the oil facility from predators.

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Now, stuck in the unforgiving frozen tundra and miles away from civilization and safety, Ottway and his fellow team set out on foot through the rugged snowy terrain in search of the closest town. After taking refuge in the nearby woods, Ottway and his fellow survivors fight to the bitter end as they eventually fall victim to not only the ravenous wolves but also threats to their health like hypothermia and hypoxia. This all leads to a bloody showdown between man and beast, before the movie cuts to black, leaving the victor ambiguous.

‘The Grey’ Left a Powerful Impression on Famed Critic Roger Ebert

Featuring the additional talents of stars like Frank Grillo, Dermot Mulroney, and Dallas Roberts, The Grey marked the second big-screen collaboration between Neeson and director Carnahan; they had previously worked together on the 2010 reboot of The A-Team. While it may have been marketed as a man-versus-beast actioner, praise came from the haunting cinematography and Neeson’s powerfully poetic performance of a man on a mission to survive despite his tumultuous relationship with life and the world.

The abrupt and poignant ending underscores the movie’s wider themes, with Carnahan using the action framing to dive into thought-provoking philosophical and spiritual questions while giving Neeson the chance to demonstrate his exceptional acting prowess and admirable strengths as a performer.

An edited image of Society of the Snow, The Revenant, and The Impossible

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Revered film critic Roger Ebert was completely blown away by The Grey and was deeply affected by its unrelenting harshness. In his positive review, he awarded the movie 3.5 stars and wrote that it affected him so much that he ended up leaving the screening of another film on the same day, saying, “It was the first time I walked out of a film because of the previous film. The way I was feeling in my gut, it just wouldn’t be fair to the next film.”

He went on to provide an explanation as to why he’d been left so affected, explaining:

“The Grey advances with pitiless logic. There are more wolves than men. The men have weapons, the wolves have patience, the weather is punishing. I sat regarding the screen with mounting dread. The movie had to have a happy ending, didn’t it? If not “happy,” then at least a relief in some sense? Sit through the entire credits. There’s one more shot still to come. Not that you wouldn’t be content without it.”

Ebert wasn’t the only respected voice who was completely immersed in the heart-racing and brutal thriller. Fellow critic and former collaborator Richard Roeper listed The Grey as one of his best movies of 2012, as did The New York Times writer A.O. Scott.