Impact Event (2020) by B. Luciano Barsuglia


Director: B. Luciano Barsuglia
Year: 2020
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Drama/Thriller

Plot:
When a global-killer meteor hits the Earth, the resulting outcome of the situation forces a group of funhouse workers and other survivors into their funhouse to survive the radioactive elements, but soon a far greater threat emerges which puts them all in grave danger.

Review:

On the whole, this one was watchable if not too special. Among the more enjoyable aspects here is that this one offers up a more humanistic angle towards the apocalypse. Featuring the day-to-day life of the survivors trapped inside where the focus relies on how to cultivate supplies to the others and going for the way of life they feel is important for their survival manages to offer a far different and realistic take instead of the futuristic, dystopian wasteland version of the apocalypse. Likewise, the film gets somewhat fun in the finale where a series of somewhat enjoyable battles and shootouts take place inside the confines of the funhouse which his quite exciting. These are what work for this one.

There are a few problems featured here. Among its main issues is an egregiously and unnecessary running length that prioritizes scenes of bland talking over everything else. The opening scenes featuring the group preparing for an extinction-level effort like a regular Tuesday is highly distracting and jarring, while the utterly ridiculous arguments held in the bunker about who’s in charge and what are the survival pals which are all rather cliche in execution. That none of these are given any sense of urgency or immediacy is the most telling, droning on and on about the nature of their setup without delving into the natural sense of chaos and panic that should arise here when they’re faced with the potential doomsday scenario.

That also ties into the other big flaw where the film doesn’t have much in the way of action or real horror present throughout here. The endless series of conversations about what’s going on tend to half the film’s ability to provide any kind of action to add some excitement to the dreariness, while the mismanaged subplot involving the cannibalistic prisoners who escape and menace them comes off as laughable. Not only are they introduced far too late into the film the only means by which we know of them being cannibals is accomplished of-screen and then referenced making for a wholly unsatisfying aspect since they’re made out to be quite threatening. These are the film’s problematic features.


Overview: */5
A highly problematic effort that at least tends to go for a more realistic and grounded attempt at the post-apocalyptic drama instead of the dystopian wasteland style, it’s not enough to overcome the big problems present. Give this a chance if you’re a fan of these kinds of films or intrigued about the more realistic take on the material, but those turned off by the flaws or not into the genre at all should heed extreme caution with this one.

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