After watching the new and utterly disappointing Matrix and Resident Evil films, I was beginning to lose hope in the movie industry, when this movie came along and proved to me that there are still excellent directors out there who can take a simple idea and turn it into "gold". (pun intended)
I enjoyed this movie from start to finish. I have always liked survival movies, especially the ones which involve trying to survive in the desert. The movie does an excellent job by not providing any sort of back story. You have no idea where the main character is headed and why (he refers to his destination vagely as the compound), or what's going on in the world for that matter. It makes you think of a post apocalyptic world, a Mad Max kind of world, but never gives you any clear hint as to what's really going on. While a bit weird, that's completely ok with me, because it helps you focus on the main plot; i.e. Trying to survive in the desert, which was absolutely enjoyable.
The shots were all beautifully taken and the accompanying music added to the mood. The ending came as a big surprise. The only real complaint I have is that it ended abruptly, but I totally get why they did it; because they were focused on making a moral point, and you can't help but think about that moral point the entire time the movie is playing, because it's so in your face.
If you enjoy survival movies with the desert as their setting, you're in for a hell of a ride, but if you don't like such slow-paced movies, you're going to find this movie excruciatingly slow and boring, so know your likes and dislikes before watching this movie so as not to waste your time or crtiticize such an excellent movie unfairy just because you didn't know what you were going into and were not familiar with your likes and dislikes.
If you're looking for action, horror, romance, science-fiction or a fast-paced movie, look elsewhere, because that's not what you're going to get from this movie.
I hope you're not giving me thumbs down just because I immensely enjoyed this movie, because I clearly told you about what this movie entails, and hopefully, now you can make up your mind.
