With “Elevation” Anthony Mackie has made an all-out, no nonsense, mighty monster movie — with a twist.

The killer creatures that are destroying humankind in the nastiest ways can only do so if people go below what’s known as “The Line,” which is 8,000 feet in the mountains. What’s below has meant death for 95% of earth’s population.

However, Mackie is a widower with a son who needs a daily dose of life-saving medicine. As “Elevation” begins, that supply is gone and Mackie must venture below to restock from an abandoned pharmacy.

A scientist (Morena Baccarin) who is hopeful of perfecting an antidote to kill the monsters – they resemble mutant rhinos — joins Mackie’s mission.  As does a young woman who insists on accompanying them.

For Mackie, 46, what made this monster mash irresistible is easy: A chance to work with director George Nolfi. “That was the big thing for me. This is our third movie together. He’s just a genuine dear friend. He’s my brother.

“So when we started talking about this movie on (the 2020) ‘The Banker,’ he was already thinking about this. Because we’re always looking for stuff to do together. When it came to fruition and we were able,” he said with a laugh, “to trick Morena into being a part of it, it came to light.”

In the Marvel universe Mackie may be Captain America – returning to those daring deeds next year in “Captain America: Brave New World” — but he argues, don’t diminish their thrills by seeing these fantasy films as merely technical work with blue screens. That misses what makes them so magical.

“It’s funny. I’ve been thinking about this, and not to get philosophical and all that as an actor, but our goal is to get back to that age when we were in the backyard with a stick and we were slaying dragons.

“We really saw that dragon. That stick was really a sword. And we had to win or else that dragon was going to take over our village.

“And somewhere along the way, somebody told us there was no dragon and that sword is a stick and that’s not real — and it crushed your imagination.

“As an actor, our job is to get back to that moment. And because of that, with this rethinking the idea of, What’s primal fear? What’s the emotional state of fear? What’s the consequence of fear?

“Once you look at a character emotionally and tie yourself in with that, it makes it much easier than having to think, ‘Oh, I’ve worked on blue screen before.’

“It’s more about, ‘What’s the emotional aspect of this fear that’s different than every other role I’ve played?’”

“Elevation” is in theaters and on VOD Nov. 8