However, the Mexican film-maker seems to have wanting to do this particular project for some time.
We see him and his team travel to the snowy Montana and South Dakota mountain ranges for a brutal story based on true events.
There have been stories about the troubled time they have had filming this. But after seeing it, you will forget all that and be in awe of what they made, because it is quite simply a cinematic spectacle.
The opening sets the tone for the film perfectly and gets you in the mood straight away which was great to see. The use of long-tracking shots takes you back to Birdman, and yet it felt refreshing as the backdrop is perfect for those long takes you witness throughout the film.
As we begin to know our characters and their situation, you can almost feel the brutality of the environment and the experience ends up being really immersive, visceral and even hypnotic.
Then the final act builds up to a tense finale that had me on the edge of my seat feeling quite tense right up to the final scene.
Even with this film probably containing the most impressive visuals of 2015, the performances are still crucial in making this a success. What we get is a fantastic amount of performances by everyone involved.
With most of the buzz being centered on Leonardo DiCaprio's performance that could finally get him the Oscar, it is certainly living up to the hype.
Leo gives us a spectacular no-hold-barred performance that will certainly give him a nomination despite it being mainly physical rather than dialogue driven. The stuff you see him do on screen will definitely make you think afterwards, that if he does not win the Oscars, then I'm afraid he will never win.
Leading the support is Tom Hardy who will certainly have a say in the major awards for best supporting actor. He always gives us tense and physical performances and this one is no different. 2015 has certainly been quite a year for the Brit as he has also starred in Legend and Mad Max: Fury Road.
Another actor that has featured in many of the years most successful films that plays a small part is Domhnall Gleeson. With performances in Ex Machina, Brooklyn and Star Wars: The Force Awakens to boot, Gleeson gives us another solid display.
One supporting role that I was pleased to portray well on screen was Will Poulter. After shining as a kid in Son Of Rambow, we seem to have seen Poulter every so often. Hopefully this could give him a second breakthrough.
Despite all these top performance, the true star of the film may be the landscape that everyone is involved in. Nature is a powerful and honest thing and when it is shown right, it feels like you are watching a David Attenborough documentary. Also having the entire film shot in natural light shows the real beauty of this snowy environment.
Another technical part of the film that still manages to enhance the film even more is the score by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Bryce Dessner and Carsten Nicolai. It is quite haunting and almost had stints of Bernard Hermann's classic scores.
To find negatives to the film, I would have to be picky. The story itself is not the strongest part. But I think the simple story gives you time to appreciate everything else, which reminded me of Mad Max: Fury Road. Also, some sequences may be seen as pretentious. But I think that will be a personal negative rather then a general one for me.
This is certainly an impressive piece of work that needs to be seen on the big screen. Inarritu shows how much of a cinematic director he is. I really enjoy his way of directing that even has moments that reminded of Terence Malick's style of film-making in this one. He has given us a great vision of the harshness of nature and what people do to survive, especially when they have something to fight for.
It will be interesting to see if this can have a life on the small screen.
It is a visual spectacle that is enhanced by DiCaprio and Hardy's performances. Also, the way nature is visualized felt refreshing and I was totally invested in everything on screen.
It might not be as high-octane as the trailer suggests, but it certainly is tense, moving and a visual wonder.
Rating: 8/10
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