Aftermath

Tonight, I watched "Aftermath"--a tense and scary film about a small group hunkered down in a basement after a nuclear apocalypse. While it's a pretty good film, the film I expected to see was "Aftermath"--a film about a Polish-American man who is returning to Poland for a visit. Somehow, Netflix just released the film...the wrong film. I called them and they said that the company NEVER ordered the apocalyptic film...and others are apparently reporting that they, too, got this film instead! Well, I guess it was just meant to be that I saw the other film instead!

Both films were made in 2012--so I can understand the mix-up. The Aftermath I saw was directed by Peter Engert and stars a variety of talented but relatively unknown actors. This was a good thing, as the movie is about ordinary people and how they react to a nuclear war. Having Brad Pitt or Meryl Streep in the film might have been cool...but it wouldn't have worked with a picture like this.

When the movie, you learn that several nations have begun detonating nuclear weapons on each other. Exactly how and why isn't important-- what IS important is that somehow a chain reaction occurred and nations are now nuking each other! The film is set in rural Texas and even there they are impacted as soon bombs start detonating all around them. A young doctor, Brad (C.J. Thomason) is backpacking when the bombs start going off nearby--and he and a woman and her blinded brother rush to find supplies and shelter before the effects of the blasts kill them. Finding the supplies is amazingly easy as is a vehicle, but the shelter is another thing. Brad and his two new friends aren't sure if they'll ever find a basement or bomb shelter, as the first place they try results in Brad getting shot! He's going to survive but what about the next place they try? And, even if they find a shelter, what will happen when the folks that remain start to behave like animals...as they most certainly will.

If you are looking for a feel-good movie or a date film, then you need to keep looking. Not surprisingly, "Aftermath" is incredibly depressing and eventually looks a lot like a zombie movie in many ways. But that does not mean it's a bad film--and nuclear apocalypse, unless I am mistaken, SHOULD be incredibly depressing!! Christian McDonald's script is very intelligently written and SEEMS probable. While I am sure nuclear physicists and engineers would find lots of plot holes, it sure seemed real and kept my attention. I also appreciated it because it was a great look at human nature--at least for us pessimists who assume such a horrific event would be made even worse by many of the survivors and near-survivors.

In some ways, the film reminded me a bit of the classic film "On the Beach"--but without all the movie star cameos. In this 1959, the world also starts to slowly die because of a widespread nuclear exchange but too many of the characters seemed amazingly nice, decent and orderly in the face of certain death. I am not knocking it--it's a good film despite this. But it lacks the grittiness and ugliness you see in "Aftermath". Ugly, tense and awful--all good reasons to give this independent film a chance. However, also very good reasons NOT to watch this with your kids!! In fact, I really think it's perhaps too tense, depressing and bloody for many adults--but it STILL is a very good film because it never falls back on sentiment or clichés. It's worth a look...for the right viewers.

Apocalypse movies are meant to have explosions, huge special effects and people fleeing from one place to the next to survive!!!....well if you are looking for that sort of apocalyptic survival movie you have stumbled to the wrong place. Ultimately the movie stars 9 peps in a cellar for one and half hours...which is quite realistic I suppose but realism is kinda boring hence the point of watch a movie to "escape from reality" Kudos to the make up team - the actors and actresses did look like they were slow succumbing to the effects of radiation. However the acting at times was just strange, especially when they are fighting off people - they seem to go all Rambo then at other times they seem quite timid. So if you want to watch a movie and have all hope washed away then sit back and enjoy the micro-scale fall of humanity.

I am usually one who will see a flood of 1/10 stars, then a few 10/10s and typically believe the 1/10s are being more honest...but in this occasion, I have no clue what anyone who hates this film was thinking!

As someone who grew up with a, "prepper" Father (he even had a small cinderblock fall out shelter in our basement) I feel like I've alwats had a better idea than the average person on what would happen in the event of a nuclear attack, and how to handle it (the best we can...)

That said, this movie hits pretty much all the DOs and DONTs of what would be expected by people with a little knowledge, while of course keeping it a fictional, entertaining film at the same time...there is a balance that must be walked between a fun film, and reality...this film did it very well. So all those talking about the film or bashing its realism ..read a book. Those saying how it's too depressing...are you not aware a Nuclear holocaust is basically as close to "THE END" as we will likely ever get!?!?

So the review of the film itself as a film...it was very enjoyable!

Pacing It starts off immediately, infact it starts so fast that one of the few areas I could see someone be turned off by is he never really get to KNOW most of the people...but they do give us just enough info to care...I felt. And I'll take that trade off for no 30 minute boring build up! So for pacing I give it 9/10

Acting Like any low budget, the acting will never be A+ but it was more than passable, I very rarely had any frustrating moments with the cast 7/10

Story This is where it really shines, the story was very believable in my opinion. From the blindness of the flash, to the radiation sickness... to food and water being accounted for, lights, bathroom etc. all is accounted for which was impressive. Nothing was cheesy, nothing was over the top. However, keep in mind - this is NOT a "popcorn flick" or a date movie. Be prepared for depressive vibes. 10/10

If you're into end of the world types, or people holed up in a small space, or survival types (without all the corny battles, and zombies, etc. then I say give this a shot!! I honestly don't see how anyone can rate this BELOW a 6...

I want to give it a higher rating. They got so many things right. Script, direction acting all well done. The top review had a good summary, except that he thought some engineers would be able to tell him where the movie was wrong about radiation. They wouldn't. One of the few times that the cinema ever got remotely close, and this by far was the closest. The things some might want to quibble about would go the way depicted if people didn't know what they were doing. Which is the case here. No one for a change is given the role of brainiac of the universe. They really don't know what they're doing. They also don't have a prepper/survivalist who has been training for this contingency to help them out. Just some regular folks who are trying to deal. Supply issues are glossed over, but so are most character introductions because in the real world people don't run and announce their profession/helpful hobbies and quirky humanizing interests to those they've known for a long time, and even less so to strangers.

A+ for apocalypse vs humanity. A- for humanity survival needs. A for not hand holding the nincompoops who need every little detail explained to the. Although with all the good effort, and work in this wrongly maligned little gem, somehow it never gels to be more of a movie than an apocalypse movie. In that niche genre, where it doesn't intersect with action (cough The Road Warrior cough) it's the best you'll find.

It's a pretty good and honest "what if".

But, Furlong's work here is great. He's got solid acting chops.

I just wonder with Dark Fate, is there nobody in Hollywood that can put these pieces together? You want your sheboot? Well fine, why not have a John Connor who didn't have the life he was grown up to expect and has become a drunk ass loser?

It's not that Hollywood is out of ideas, Hollywood is too fat and flabby to even know the difference. This is just embarrassing.