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A scientist (James Le Gros, “Zodiac”) warns the members of an Alaskan oil-drilling expedition--including his new girlfriend (Connie Britton, TV’s “Friday Night Lights”) and her ex (Ron Perlman, “Hellboy”), the team leader--that something seriously bad is going to happen due to warmer temperatures and atmospheric changes. Of course, nobody listens. And, of course, bad things start happening.

Big question: Can a genre movie successfully weave important environmental messages into its plot without feeling preachy? (Or at least do it better than “The Day After Tomorrow”?)

Catch it: You don’t have to be Al Gore to be intrigued by the film’s premise that thawing permafrost just might have an unfortunate impact on the mental state of those in the vicinity. It’s clever and timely, and “The Last Winter” gets a lot of mileage out of its concept, capable cast and strikingly photographed locations.

Skip it: The small ensemble in an icy setting recalls John Carpenter’s classic remake “The Thing,” but that point of comparison reinforces this movie’s relative lack of scares. Besides, topical horror has already been done this year with eerier results in “28 Weeks Later” and “The Invasion.”

Bottom line: Global warming activists will surely approve of getting the message out by any means necessary, but horror buffs are likely to feel cheated on the thrills.

Bonus: Fans of the celebrated but low-rated TV series “Friday Night Lights” have two reasons to check this out: Britton and Zach Gilford (known to viewers as the quarterback, Matt), who has a key role as the first of the oil crew to start losing his mind.

[“The Last Winter” is also available through “IFC In Theaters,” a video on demand service from select cable providers and DirecTV.]

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