Back in 2020, Gerard Butler starred in Greenland, one of many crazy disaster movies to prepare us for end times, and now he’s back to show us what happens next. The sequel Greenland 2: Migration continues the story of John Garrity, his wife Allison and their son Nathan five years after the events of the first movie, in which a large comet crashed into Earth. Critics have seen the flick ahead of its release to the 2026 movie calendar, and they’re split over its success.
In addition to Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin returns to the upcoming action movie as Allison, and Roman Griffin Davis replaces Roger Dale Floyd as Nathan, as the Garritys are forced to leave the Greenland bunker and attempt to start a new life amongst what’s left of Earth. Liz Declan of ScreenRant gives it an 8 out of 10, saying Greenland 2: Migration tackles topics this genre often skips over — the disaster's aftermath — and proves that story can be as exciting as the tragedy that came before. The critic says:
Not only does it avoid disaster and death solely for disaster and death's sake—a common pitfall of the genre—but it also has an actual message to deliver, and deliver it does, all without feeling ham-fisted or clichéd. While not exactly revolutionary in terms of what that deeper meaning is, the fact that the movie achieves that depth alongside its death-defying moments should be applauded.
Chris Evangelista of SlashFilm rates the movie 7 out of 10, saying that while it still feels like a “silly disaster pic” at some points, Greenland 2: Migration stands out because it’s less interested in grand spectacle and more in the psychological toll of everyday people just trying to make it through another day. Evangelista writes:
Greenland 2: Migration sticks to the emotional trauma angle while also unleashing a few thrilling set-pieces to keep your blood flowing. The action is tense, the drama is effective, and at a refreshing 98 minutes, Greenland 2 never overstays its welcome. As far as Gerard Butler end-of-the-world movies go, it's definitely in the upper echelon.
William Bibbiani of The Wrap says Greenland 2: Migration is an above-average sequel to 2020’s above-average sleeper, with plenty of exciting set pieces. However, some of the despair that made the original such a gut punch is missing from the follow-up. Bibbiani says:
These Greenland films may not always have a coherent point, but when they focus on the nuts and bolts of survival and the toll that surviving takes on these characters, they’re efficient, effectively crafted genre pictures. Like the original, Greenland 2: Migration wants you to take its characters and story seriously, and for the most part that’s possible. These movies are, despite their shortcomings, pretty good. They just aren’t great.
David Ehrlich of IndieWire calls the movie a “timely but tedious” sequel, saying it’s far more generic and action-oriented than its predecessor, which makes it lose sight of the human reaction that gave Greenland its friction. Ehrlich gives Migration a C and writes:
For their part, the Garrity family is asked to carry more weight with less substance, and their non-characters struggle to support the emotional burden of an intimate life-or-death journey, the destination of which is a lot sillier than it was the last time around. Still, for all of the been-there, survived-that tedium we get here, it’s hard to imagine that many other white-bread Hollywood movies this year will so thoroughly internalize the reality that migration is a heroic act of survival.
Josh Parham of Next Best Picture rates it just 4 out of 10, writing that while there are some decent thrills, most of the movie is “blandly shot and executed,” with shallow characters that don’t earn our emotional investment. Parham continues:
A flimsy plot and uninteresting characters would be tolerable if the dramatic moments of intense destruction were more intriguing. Instead, the palette is wholly bland and lifeless, unsupported by the framework of the storytelling and performances. A handful of impressive scenes come nowhere close to saving this picture. It’s disappointing that one of the most unexpectedly entertaining films of the last few years has led to a banal, forgettable project.
Unfortunately, the critics don’t agree on this one, but it could be worth checking out, especially if you’re a fan of the first movie, which is considered one of the best movies streaming on HBO Max right now.
If you haven’t seen Greenland, it’s available to stream with an HBO Max subscription, which might help you decide if you want to invest more time into the Garritys' perilous quest for survival when Greenland 2: Migration hits theaters on Friday, January 9.
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