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Reviews
The Collapsed (2011)
Truly woeful
I usually love post apocalyptic films but this one is really scraping the bottom of the barrel due to a completely nonsensical plot and characters who are impossible to care about who keep doing the stupidest things. Why is shaving one's legs important once society has collapsed?? Do people really become cannibals two weeks after the power goes out? Do you moan and complain loudly in the forest about blisters when you could be attacked at any moment? Do you stand up waving and screaming after being shot in the ankle so you can get shot again right in the centre of your stupid white tshirt that makes you stand out in the forest like a dog's dangly bits? Do people kill you and wander off leaving a loaded gun beside you? You get my drift... the whole sorry mess is one big insult to even the lowest forms of intelligence. My guinea pig could write a better story than this. In summary, if these are the types of folk who survive the end of the world, the sooner humanity hangs up its boots, the better.
The Great Silence (2020)
Thought-provoking drama about trauma set in post-virus world
Reading the other reviews here it looks as if many people were expecting this film to deliver sci-fi action or provide an in-depth explanation into the virus and each character's back story. But if you prefer not being spoon fed the facts and left to figure things out on your own, and if you don't need an ending that ties everything up in a neat little bow and leaves you pondering on the ambiguity, this is a interesting story about a young woman Ava/Amanda that explores themes of trauma and family violence in a small American farming community against the backdrop of societal collapse. It's a slow burn of a story, but I found myself rooting for Ava and caring about Max and his mother who provide her with shelter from her abusive family and from the world when it turns to custard. We see Ava learning to shoot and farm and survive and then dealing with the aftermath of violence and imprisonment by a gang of unsavoury characters led by her menacing and creepy dad. The ending is bittersweet and left up to the viewer to determine how the story ends. Before the Fire is a thoughtful character driven drama set in an unstable, scarily familiar world, that stayed with me for a few days. If you like films that tell a cerebral, human story and respect a thinking audience, and if you like post apocalyptic stories that focus on character and not the broader disaster taking place, you might like this. A solid 7 stars from me.
The Mansion (2013)
For fans of The Survivalist and Here Alone
This is a great little gem of a film with a lot more depth and heart than the usual post apocalyptic fare. I'm a big fan of the genre but I need a decent character driven story and a good dose of tension. Refuge has both of these and is set in a gritty, grey, disturbing world where violent gangs prey upon the weak in their search for food and shelter. The film is relatively short but there are no wasted scenes or dialogue, just lean, tense moments and characters whose objectives seem all too relatable. The last five minutes really ratchet up the nerves. If you liked the raw bleakness of the Survivalist and Here Alone, you'll like this.