After the Dark (2013)

At an international school in Jakarta, a philosophy teacher challenges his class of twenty graduating seniors to choose which ten of them would take shelter underground and reboot the human race in the event of a nuclear apocalypse.

Director:

John Huddles

Writer:

John Huddles

Stars:

James D'Arcy, Sophie Lowe, Daryl Sabara

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James D'Arcy	...	Mr. Zimit
Sophie Lowe	...	Petra
Daryl Sabara	...	Chips
Freddie Stroma	...	Jack
Rhys Wakefield	...	James
Bonnie Wright	...	Georgina
Jacob Artist	...	Parker
George Blagden	...	Andy
Philippa Coulthard	...	Poppie
Katie Findlay	...	Bonnie
Natasha Gott	...	Yoshiko
Taser Hassan	...	Nelson
Chanelle Bianca Ho	...	Mitzi
Darius Homayoun	...	Toby
Cinta Laura Kiehl	...	Utami

Storyline

When the last day of school comes for a group of students in a philosophy class, their instructor, Mr. Zimit, challenges them to different sorts of exercises that take place in a post-nuclear apocalyptic world. While there, they each get chosen professions and have to decide whether who is valuable or not because the bunker they will be staying in for a year has only enough oxygen for 10 people. Mr. Zimit challenges them in different rounds to see how they could survive. Issues arise when they notice Mr. Zimit is disruptive to the game.

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Plot Keywords:

philosophy | gay character | teacher | philosophy teacher | nuclear apocalypse | 

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Taglines:

Smart. Talented. Beautiful. Stranded.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence, sexuality and brief drug use

Details

Country:

USA Indonesia

Language:

English Middle English Indonesian

Release Date:

10 October 2013 (Russia)

Also Known As:

After the Dark

Filming Locations:

Prambanan Temple, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Company Credits

Production Co:

An Olive Branch Productions,SCTV,Soundplace

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the second time Philippa Coulthard and Maia Mitchell played together. The first time was K9

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Goofs

It is difficult to conceive of even a few worthy nuclear targets in Indonesia, let alone dozens, and there is definitely nothing at all worth nuking in the vicinity of Mount Bromo, which sits in the middle of a desolate plain called the "Sea of Sand".

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Quotes

[In the third iteration, Petra waives her own eligibility, and now announces who receives the last remaining bunker slot]
Petra: Bonnie, get inside.
Bonnie: I'm a soldier, I know how to knock things down. You're an engineer, you know how to build things up. I'm not worth as much.
Petra: My logic's fuzzier. In my apocalypse, everybody is worth as much as everybody else.
Bonnie: I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself to save me.
Petra: I won't let *you* sacrifice yourself to save me.
Bonnie: Then we'll both go up in smoke, and you'll have ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

"James's poem to Petra by Rhys Wakefield and Sophie Lowe"

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Soundtracks

Les Barricades Mysterieuses
Traditional
Arranged by Gregory Coleman
Performed by Gregory Coleman
Published by Gregory Coleman
[Courtesy of Semper Legarus]

User Reviews

Worst. School. Ever.

A bunch of kids who all seem to have arrived from the same toothpaste or shampoo commercial turn up for their last day at school ever. The teacher decides to run a philosophy role-play as a kind of review session. What follows are momentous life-and-death decisions with huge consequences for the fate of the human race.

Or not, as it turns out - because it is a classroom exercise. All the exotic settings, CGI explosions, and crisp cinematography cannot distract us from the fact that all that is at stake here is an A, B or C grade. There isn't even a mention that someone might FAIL the class - the stakes are that low! The teacher threatens the lead girl with losing her A+ in a manner that, if taken seriously, would see him fired for power harassment and incompetence. Are we meant to fear for her in this ludicrous moment? Unfortunately, that is as dramatic as this film gets.

The so-called philosophy is preachy and immature. The pupils all kind of blend into each other as characterisation is one-note. And absolutely nothing of value is tested or put at risk here. It's like The Breakfast Club was never made.

How this screenplay made it to the top of anyone's pile is a crime that should be investigated. Two stars - one for the cinematography, the other for the huge drinking game potential.