The genre of man vs. wild has predominantly been, well, led by men (think Cast Away and The Revenant). Taking a refreshing spin on this traditional trope, the black-and-white styled "Metalhead" puts a woman at the center of a struggle for survival.
Portrayed by Maxine Peake, a woman named Bella leads two men on a mission to retrieve a special item from a warehouse for her dying nephew. A shrapnel-blasting mechanical dog kills her comrades, and Bella is left alone to fend it off.
Bella's not just a nonchalant and physically strong character. She's smart and resourceful, observing the dog's patterns and reactions in order to stay alive. Emotionally rich, she cares deeply about her loved ones, constantly checking in with her family to remind them that she loves them and risking her life to retrieve a gift for her ailing nephew. Peake absorbs us into her stark and moving performance so well that it's only when we take a step back that we remember that her character has traditionally been a man.
