Year 10

There is no dialog at all. Apparently people forgot to talk after 10 years. The plot holes and all the things the director missed to many to count. Would be surprised if he got to work again. Very lazily laid out and took short cuts because they had no clue on what they were doing. I would expect something like this to be written by some college kids looking to get into the business with only a $1000 budget. Not sure what else i can write in this review. I have put more thought into the review than the director put into writing this script. The overall concept wasn't bad. Just didn't have enough brain power to put in speaking rolls.

The story of this post-apocalyptic thriller is rather one-dimensional: a young guy follows the path of the (cannibalistic!) thugs that killed his father, there's a lot of running and chasing and harsh fighting, before we get to a satisfying closure. But it's nonetheless pretty involving, the pace is for most of the time high, with a fair amount of suspense and action, and you more and more root for the main character, hoping to see him get awarded for all his tireless efforts.

It's obviously a low-budget production: the settings hardly vary, there are just of few actors, and no special effects or CGI (as far as I could see), and there was certainly no need for a dialogues coach, because there aren't any dialogues. I have no idea why not, it impressed me as an arty director's whim, for why would all surviving mankind within 10 years after the apocalypse loose their ability to speak?! But to be honest, after some 20 minutes you get used to it and don't miss it anymore.

The young hero is played by Toby Goodger. Since the director is Ben Goodger, they are probably brothers, or at least family. According to IMDb Ben Goodger made a short movie in 2010, called "Coming of Age", with as synopsis: "A young boy battles with new responsibilities in a brutal post-apocalyptic future". So apparently the premise of this full length feature already originated 15 years ago. And guess who the main actor was in 2010: young Toby Goodger! And I have to say, that the mature Toby Goodger in 2024 looks awesome, he has a great screen presence, and he did an absolutely fine job in his difficult and very physical role.

The World's End, Silence Included: A Review of Year 10

Ah, post-apocalyptic movies-where humanity's worst instincts play out under a blood-orange sky, and the phrase "survival of the fittest" seems like an unreasonably optimistic mantra. Year 10, directed by someone who clearly thinks dialogue is overrated, throws us headfirst into a bleak, no-holds-barred landscape where civilization has crumbled, cannibals roam the countryside, and even a whisper can ruin your day. Think Mad Max meets A Quiet Place, but with fewer explosions and more uncomfortable silences.

Let's talk stars: Alexander Anderson, Emma Cole, and Joseph Coleman. Three names you've probably never heard of unless you're their parents or overly enthusiastic IMDb users. But hey, fresh faces are a welcome change from the usual Hollywood line-up. I mean, how many more times can we watch Chris Pratt save the world while smirking? These newcomers bring a raw, unpolished energy that fits the film's gritty vibe, even if they occasionally look like they're figuring out their motivations mid-scene.

The Plot: A Mute Tale of Woe

The plot? Oh, it's a doozy. Anderson's character (we'll call him "Broody Hero" since names are apparently as scarce as dialogue in this film) embarks on a mission to retrieve stolen medicine from a gang of cannibals who murdered his dad. By the way, the medicine is the only thing keeping his girlfriend alive. No pressure. It's a classic hero's journey, except instead of wise mentors and epic training montages, he's got silent stares and bad decisions.

Here's the kicker: Year 10 doesn't just dabble in the art of silence-it commits. There is zero dialogue for the film's entire runtime. That's right, not a single word. Just grunts, meaningful looks, and the occasional scream. It's a bold choice, sure, but also one that made me feel like I accidentally sat through a 90-minute mime performance. While it amps up the tension, it also made me want to shout, "Somebody, for the love of all things apocalyptic, say something!" What I Loved

Post-Apocalyptic Vibes: I don't know what it says about me, but I can't get enough of dystopian wastelands. There's something endlessly fascinating about watching society crumble under its own weight-or, in this case, a vaguely defined catastrophic event. The film nails the aesthetic: barren landscapes, crumbling infrastructure, and enough dust to make you cough just watching it.

Tense Scenes: There are moments in Year 10 that had me gripping my seat like it owed me money. One particular sequence, where Broody Hero sneaks into the cannibals' lair, is so nerve-wracking you'll find yourself holding your breath. Bonus points for making silence work as a weapon; every creak and footstep feels like a gunshot in the void.

Unknown Cast: This isn't your standard blockbuster fare with A-list actors chewing scenery. Anderson, Cole, and Coleman bring a fresh, grounded quality to their performances. You believe they're survivors, not just actors pretending to be miserable in designer rags.

What Made Me Roll My Eyes

Silent Treatment: Look, I appreciate the artistic ambition of ditching dialogue, but after a while, it felt like the film was playing a game of "how much can we frustrate the audience?" Spoiler alert: it wins. It's eerie, sure, but it also creates an emotional disconnect. There's only so much I can glean from furrowed brows and prolonged eye contact.

Silly Choices: Broody Hero's strategy-or lack thereof-left me screaming internally. Who ventures into enemy territory alone without a solid plan? Did we learn nothing from literally every heist movie ever? It's like the guy watched The Walking Dead but skipped all the survival tips.

The Ending: Without giving too much away, let's just say the conclusion is less "satisfying resolution" and more "frustrated groan." It's ambiguous in that artsy way that filmmakers love and audiences often don't. After investing so much tension and silence, I wanted a payoff, not a shrug.

Final Thoughts

Year 10 is an ambitious, moody film that's equal parts thrilling and maddening. It takes risks-some of which pay off, others that feel like artsy overreach. If you're a fan of post-apocalyptic stories and enjoy yelling "Why would you do that?!" at the screen, this one's worth a watch. Just don't expect it to hold your hand or give you closure.

Rating: 6.5/10.

It's a solid effort with moments of brilliance, but the silence and questionable character choices keep it from being a must-watch.

Wow, a dystopian thriller that actually missed presenting the obvious and best thriller fight sequence, and after setting it up so well, but then nothing. It could have been great, really great, but no. Nothing.

Oh well, mustn't grumble, it's not like this film was actually making that much of an effort to be convincing. The protagonist was presented as a clumsy idiot, stumbling around and generally messing up. Go figure.

I can't say I've ever seen a film with plot holes in it so large and so obvious. Quite bizarre. Who on earth thought this up and who directed it?

The best element was the soundtrack.

This movie looked like something I would certainly enjoy, even though the poster appears a little trashy and, now that I've seen the film, is rather misleading. We follow a young man and his father as they try to survive after an unknown catastrophic event destroys civilization. While navigating the wilderness, filled with hungry wild dogs and cannibals, they also attempt to keep the young man's girlfriend alive.

The movie definitely reminded me of The Road (2009), and since it completely omits dialogue, films like Azrael (2024) and A Quiet Place (2018) also come to mind. Year 10, however, lacks the production quality and strengths those films had. It keeps everything to a bare minimum and does not offer the viewer a deeper look into this post-apocalyptic world. We never really learn what the catastrophic event was and are simply thrown into this scenario without many answers.

The decision to eliminate dialogue felt unnecessary and didn't add anything meaningful to the story. While it's clear that silence is crucial due to the cannibals and wild dogs, there's no compelling reason for the characters not to speak at all. This choice made it difficult to connect with them, as we know almost nothing about their backgrounds or personalities. Much of the film is simply spent watching the young man try to take on a group of cannibals in silence.

That said, the movie is very well shot and includes a few striking cinematic images of the bleak wasteland they inhabit. I would have loved to see more of this world and get to know the characters better, but likely due to budgetary constraints, the worldbuilding remains underdeveloped.

Overall, it's a decent survival thriller with a few strengths but notable flaws in its story and character decisions. If you enjoy this kind of film, Year 10 is certainly worth a watch, but it's far from remarkable. [5.7/10]