Broken Darkness

The obligatory bad copy elements from The Last Of Us video game is unnerving. And the purpose of the Rose character was lost when Santos didn't follow up with some deeper connection with the Sam character. Sam's story arc needs dynamic conflict with Rose which was almost nowhere to be seen as Rose became an ornament, as if she was a background character. Technically, the weapons display was too much hip shooting with little aiming down sites. Something which is going to annoy some viewers.

Santos has some direction style which leads to a moody apocalypse film. There is a visual style with the soundtrack. If he got a writing team and didn't cast what seems like his girlfriend or sister he might air on the side of a better piece. Most of the other actors were pulling their weight. But Brendan Sean Murray was on screen for just 60 seconds before I noticed he exuded a high caliber of acting.

I dare Santos to try again. But to take notes from a scriptwriters guild pool of mentors and film makers to put Quality Assurance to the script and storyboards before expensing the budget forward. And to find out what the difference is between a bad copy and an actual film homage is like with his own spin on a directorial signature.

This post apocalyptic indie film has a few good moments intertwined through a pretty good storyline. The beginning had a scene or two that didn't quite sit right as far as the main character's reaction to a tragedy not the acting more so the writing but after a few quick hiccups this story heads in the right direction. The acting by all the main character's were brilliant, a few side show bob's would appear from time to time but the pace of the movie was never disrupted. Although this film is set in a post apocalyptic era the landscapes provided a peaceful charm. Special effects and the cannibal mutants were decent and the videography using certain angles at the right time provided optimal suspense. The ending sufficed and you definitely get the feeling when it's over that your leaving with more then what you came with. All in all I give this film a good movie rating at 7. Do take the time to check this out if the opportunity arises.

In the first few minutes of the film there are some short clips of people driving through a forest fire. At least one of the clips is from the Valley Fire in Lake County, California in 2015. If you look closely you can see a sign over the road that says "Anderson Springs". If you go look at Google maps and put in 19500 Hwy 175, Middletown, California, you can see the sign and how much of the area has not grown back yet. There is the possibility that those videos have become a part of the public domain, so there is nothing illegal about them using them, but I still don't like it. There is also the possibility that they used those videos illegally.

I started watching this expecting the usual fare, just something to have on in the background while I did other things. But what I got was so much better. I actually put down my phone and watched.

The film is one of the few that doesn't start with the premise that all people are horrible and just awaiting the apocalypse to revert to their worst selves. Apart from a few writing choices at the start that didn't make a lot of sense, this movie did a good job of showing people just being people - flawed, hopeful, often both selfish and selfless, compassionate, desperate, trying to do their best for the people around them.

And while it has its share of tension and action, it's also got breathing room - long, quiet, weirdly beautiful scenes that don't say much but show a lot. They give you space to let your guard down and see the story that the movie is telling. This breathing room also makes the tense moments so much more affecting, and the action hit so much harder.

It's also a gorgeous new take on what's probably my favorite genre, and at the end I didn't want to just click on to the next thing. I wanted to sit with this a while. It's different kind of apocalypse movie and I found some of it genuinely breathtaking.

If you want another Day of the Dead (and don't get me wrong - George Romero is one is my forever favorites), this isn't what you're in the mood for. But if you're up for a movie that gives you room to feel it, give it a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

The movie has a decent concept and the cinematography is good enough. The acting is passable and the the crew used decent cameras and lenses,

The real issue here is the pacing. The movie suffers from a massive editing problem. You could easily pull about 20 minutes out of the movie, and with some creative editing make it a little bit better.

Like others have said in their reviews, the movie doesn't really know what it wants to be, and at times its trying to be too much all at once.

Overall, if you're like me and enjoy watching low budget films with unknown talent, you could do a whole lot worse.