The only possible advantage a small-ish movie like Transsiberian has when opening on the same weekend as the biggest box office draw in recent memory, is that in cities where Transsiberian is being shown, The Dark Knight’s screenings have been sold out for weeks. So, if you’ve been left out in the cold by Batman, go see Transsiberian. Or better yet, see them both.

Transibberian is the most enjoyable film I saw at Sundance this last January. As far as best film, I’d say it’s tied with the steroids doc Bigger, Stronger, Faster. Transsiberian is directed by Brad Anderson. (Also known for The Machinist, which is maybe where Christopher Nolan found his next Batman? Discuss). It follows the story of an American couple, Roy (Woody Harrelson) and Jessie (Emily Mortimer) as they travel the transsiberian railway from China to Europe after a mission trip. Tensions in their marriage are clear, Roy is a squeaky-clean do-gooder, tapping into a delightful naiveté we haven’t seen since Cheers. Jessie, on the other hand, is a reformed bad-girl. Mortimer makes her apprehension about having settled with Roy readily apparent without overdoing it.

These tensions begin to pull tighter when they meet another Western couple on the train. Carlos (Eduardo Noriega) and Abby (Kate Mara) are drifters. They’re curious and thrilling to Roy, but tempting and potentially dangerous to Jessie. Things begin to unravel when Roy is accidentally left at a train stop, and Jessie begins to suspect that Carlos and Abby aren’t exactly who they say they are. Thanks to their association with the mysterious couple, Roy and Jessie run afoul with Russian authorities, specifically a super-creepy detective named Grinko, played wonderfully by Ben Kingsley. It’s one of Sir Ben’s many performances that makes the viewer ask, “is that really the same guy who played Ghandi?!”

I was taking notes during the screening, but at a certain point I just wrote “THEY’RE F*CKED,” and stopped writing. It’s one of those thrillers that does character development well enough that when the protagonists get in serious trouble you can feel your intestines twisting with anxiety. The biggest challenge with a movie that thrills by “turning the screw,” is negotiating exactly how far to turn it. In retrospect, I think Transsiberian may have turned it a bit too far. By the end they have amped things up to the point where explosions and cringey torture scenes become necessary to up the ante. Overall, Transsiberian still works as a tense, well-rendered thriller, held up by solid performances all around.