Director: Josh Mendoza
Year: 2018
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic/Thriller
Plot:
Struggling to survive in the wilderness, a teenage survivalist of a massive plague across mankind finds a fellow survivor and decides to join his group living together in a commune only to get dragged into their struggle with the plague victims living in the area and must try to survive the encounter.
Review:
For this type of genre effort, this one wasn't too bad. The main aspect that tends to work well here is the general setup and outcome of the storyline at the center of the film. The central concept of the society being overrun and the different survivors staying in the woods to remain alive works rather nicely, as it allows for a uniquely intriguing concept of tying in the turned victims of the plague into the old Norse mythology legends of the old world. While not in the slightest bit unique or original, this extra touch from actual history helps to add a fine emphasis here with plenty of extra added weight to this typical kind of story about the different group of survivors stuck in the woods after an apocalypse.
When this one springs into some action, it works nicely as well. From the opening raid on the couple while out in the city on their quest for supplies, the ambush on the couple of hunters out in the woods in order to avoid capture or the fantastic if somewhat brief series of battles in the woods which showcase the different clans fighting it out with weapons and guns out in the middle of the woods, the action here is really fun and has some exciting elements here with the suited-up versions of the enemy clan coming out of the darkness of the forest with the night-time torch-lit sequences. Combined with the solid gore and make-up when it's available, these here hold this up over it's few minor issues.
Among the few flaws featured here is the film's rather heavy-handed drama that runs rampant throughout the first half. Coming to terms with life after an apocalypse isn't all that interesting, with this one detailing the banalities of their situation in a rather bland manner. Focusing on the construction and maintenance of weaponry, household tools and mundane forms of survival like food gathering and preparation offer nothing of real interest and really starts this off on a drama tangent with the especially-prominent emotional quotient offered during this part of the film.
As well, the other issue here comes from the rather incredulous main character which doesn't strike at all as being a solid lead. While initially being shown as a tough, resourceful individual in this environment, Lulu Antariksa is a horrible lead here as she tends to just wander through the film not doing anything when it's required. She's knocked out consistently, relinquishes her cherished weapons at the drop of a hat, requires everyone else to come to her rescue and is generally helpless in nearly every situation and only comes out as the hero by default considering those around her. This is quite unappealing and really renders this as somewhat disappointing yet isn't really all that detrimental at all.
Overview: ***/5
While it does have a few minor problems here and there, the film does have some great aspects which manage to make this an enjoyable enough offering if you're interested in these genre efforts. Really give it a shot if you're into these efforts or find this type of film interesting, while those who aren't into these efforts at all should heed caution with this type of film.
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