Greenland 2: Migration

Growing up in the ’80s, I come from the Irwin Allen school of disaster movies. This is the man who gave us The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno, earning himself the nickname “Master of Disaster.” Because of that, I have pretty high standards when it comes to disaster flicks—your run-of-the-mill earthquake or flood isn’t always going to cut it for me. One movie that did pass the test was 2020’s Greenland. And while I’m not sure we absolutely needed to spend more time in that world, it worked once, so… all aboard Greenland 2: Migration.

It’s been five years since the Clark comet struck Earth, forcing John Garrity (Gerard Butler) and his family into a bunker built to survive an extinction-level event. John now ventures outside to help keep the facility running mechanically, while his wife Allison (Morena Baccarin) manages the day-to-day operations inside. But life in the bunker is starting to unravel. Food supplies are dwindling, tremors are taking their toll on the structure, and just when things seem like they can’t get any worse, the big one hits—forcing everyone out.

John and Allison grab their son Nathan (Roman Griffin Davis) and make a desperate run for lifeboats to escape the island. There aren’t many places left to go, but John, his family, and a small group of survivors decide to head toward the crater where Clark originally struck, following rumors that a livable area may exist there. The journey won’t be easy, but for the safety of his family, John is willing to do whatever it takes.

Written by Mitchell LaFortune and Chris Sparling, Greenland 2 clearly did its homework, consulting scientists to imagine what the world might look like five years after an extinction level event. An opening monologue tells us that 75% of the world has been destroyed, setting expectations right away—this is not a sunny story. The world here is bleak and unforgiving. Fans of the first film will find that Greenland 2 scratches the same itch, though newcomers may have a few questions. Clocking in at a brisk 98 minutes, the movie moves quickly, but that speed comes at a cost. Some world-building is glossed over, and a few logic gaps sneak through, making the runtime both a blessing and a curse.

At its heart, Greenland 2 is a post-apocalyptic road movie, using its increased budget to showcase some genuinely breathtaking locations. Following the familiar rules of the genre, the Garrity family faces a series of obstacles and encounters along the way. Where the film stumbles a bit is in missing opportunities to squeeze more emotional weight out of those moments.

I know this might sound like I’m less than impressed, but while Greenland 2 has its warts, it also has plenty going for it. Chief among those strengths is Gerard Butler, who continues to make smart choices in these grounded, everyman hero roles. The film also retains the solid bones of the original, so if you enjoyed the first Greenland, chances are you’ll feel much the same about this one.

Greenland 2: Migration doesn’t chart a bold new course, but by sticking to what worked before, it ultimately delivers a perfectly fine—and often entertaining—disaster movie.