The Big Picture

  • Pam Bales saves a stranger from an attempted suicide during a deadly storm on Mt. Washington.
  • Naomi Watts delivers a powerful performance in this gripping survival story based on a true event.
  • The film highlights themes of sacrifice, survival, and resilience, showcasing the strength of the human spirit.

Naomi Watts gives one of the best performances of her career in the gripping survival film Infinite Storm. She stars as Pam Bales, a New Hampshire hiker who enjoys venturing into the wilderness and exploring the natural environment. During a particularly chilly autumn day, Bales takes a trip down her regular route on Mt. Washington’s Jewell Trail but decides to turn back because of the severe weather. However, she discovers something that forces her to stay behind as the storm rages on. Infinite Storm chronicles Bales' incredible journey of survival and perseverance, emphasizing the power of the human spirit.

Polish filmmakers Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert craft a thrilling look at the dangers of the hiking experience, but viewers may be surprised by the sensitive emotional relationship between the two central characters. The film has powerful themes of sacrifice, survival, and loneliness, and the story is quite moving. Amazingly, this inspirational tale of heroism is based on a true story.

Infinite Storm movie poster
Infinite Storm
R
Drama

When a climber gets caught in a blizzard, she encounters a stranded stranger and must get them both down the mountain before nightfall.

Runtime
97m
Main Genre
Adventure

Pam Biles Survived a Deadly Storm

Bales finds a slightly conscious man she names John (Bill Howle), who seemingly has lost his way in the middle of the forest. She attempts to nurse him back to health and guide him to safety but realizes that John has no intentions of coming home. He had planned to end his life. Bales must convince John that his life is worth fighting for. She tries to find a way home and the weather gets more severe. Pam Bales was a nurse and mountain guide who was experienced taking solitary hikes near her home in New Hampshire. As the film depicts, Bales had already been down the Jewell Trail countless times, but during a 2010 expedition, she brought all her safety supplies just in case things took a turn. Although the fair October weather seemed fairly regular at the beginning of her hike, the temperature unexpectedly began to rapidly drop, and the winds picked up to 140 kph.

At the point in which she decided to turn back, Bales came across an unresponsive man who was perched outside the Great Gulf. After applying heat pads and lending him the spare clothes she had packed, Bales decided to call him John. As she began recounting her steps and descended the mountain with John in tow, Bales discovered what the mysterious man’s intentions were. They returned to John’s car after spending six hours in the potentially lethal storm. They spoke only briefly afterward; after Bales asked him why he didn't pack extra clothes, John suddenly drove away.

Which Article Inspired ‘Infinite Storm'?

Infinite Storm (2)
Bleecker Street

Reader’s Digest journalist Ty Gagne chronicled Bales’ story in his 2019 article High Places: Footprints in the Snow Lead to an Emotional Rescue. Gagne recounted the minutia of her journey, and explored how Bales was affected by her relationship with John in the months that followed. Screenwriter Josh Rollins adapted the original detailed article into the screenplay for Infinite Storm. Bales spent several months healing before the president of her Pemigewasset Valley Search and Rescue Team organization received an anonymous letter from John, who chose to keep himself unnamed. He thanked Bales and the organization for their part in changing his life.

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“On Sunday, 17 October, I went up my favorite trail, Jewell, to end my life,” he stated, recounting how Bales had discovered him. “The entire time she treated me with compassion, authority, confidence, and the impression that I mattered. With all that has been going wrong in my life, I didn’t matter to me, but I did to Pam. She probably thought I was the stupidest hiker dressed like I was, but I was never put down in any way—chewed out, yes, in a kind way. Maybe I wasn’t meant to die yet. I somehow still mattered in life.” Paying respect to the true story was important to Watts, who did some press conferences for the film alongside the real Bales. Watts said that Bales was “just deeply compassionate and understands what suffering and loneliness and pain is.” Although Bales noted that she was not super familiar with Watts’ screen work, she was pleased with the way the project came together.

Why Is ‘Infinite Storm’s Ending So Powerful?

infinite-storm-naomi-watts-social

As the closing title cards of Infinite Storm reveal, Bales was very moved by her experience and committed herself to celebrating the precious time that she had. She later raised four children and left New Hampshire to do volunteer work across the nation in various national parks. Despite the harrowing experiences that she endured, Bales emerged from the situation with a newfound resilience; the experience forces her to recognize the positive aspects of her own life. The film honors this theme with Watts’ sensational performance, which was sadly overlooked by pundits during the year's award ceremonies.

Infinite Storm is rather poignant in its ambiguity. There’s little that the film shares about the backstories of either Pam or the man she’s saved, but it’s clear that they were both irrevocably changed by their encounter with each other. Bales is someone who can find the beauty in the “infinite storm” that is life. Just because things get tumultuous doesn’t mean that she’s willing to give up her journey. While many of the most harrowing survival films focus on the physical challenges that their characters endure, Infinite Storm explores the psychological battle that Bales faced when fighting for her life. In addition to fighting to preserve her future, Bales must convince her new colleague that his life is also worth fighting for.

Naomi Watts shows the personal integrity that defines Bales with her empathetic performance, which is distinct from the other projects that she has worked on. Although Watts became synonymous with surrealist cinema thanks to her ongoing creative partnership with David Lynch, it’s refreshing to see her take on another old-fashioned character drama. Watts was able to shed her movie star qualities to pay respect to a real hero and bring to life this moving story.

Infinite Storm is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.

Watch on Hulu