Ok, first, to set the mood in regards to expectations, let me throw the trailer up here:
A couple things to note that are going to give you an idea of how this movie is going to shake out a) the studio that brought this to the screen is an outfit that specializes in religious-themed offerings, and b) Neal McDonough, the only ‘big name’ in this movie, is a very devout Catholic…devout enough to the point that he doesn’t do sex scenes or kiss people in movies. So, with those two bits of data, lets get into it.
The premise is absolutely nothing you haven’t seen in a hundred movies in this genre. The very short version is that Bad Event happens but theres a rich guy who has been preparing for it and needs a buncha ex-operators to keep the place safe from the unprepared and desperate survivors. Drama ensues.
Although the classic genre bad guys – the cannibal bikers – are absent, we do have a few tropes that are standard for the genre:
- The security guy who wants to take it all over for himself
- The government bureaucrat who wants to seize everything for redistribution
- The we-have-to-help-everyone character oblivious to the risks
- The person who thinks everything will be fine..the government will help us
- The family that gets split up and has no idea where the others are
Into this mix, there’s a couple of subplots that are, presumably, addressed in subsequent episodes (yup, this thing apparently is available as a series)…there’s the two teenagers from different backgrounds who have a chaste budding romance, a kid who may or may not be prescient, other ‘survivalists’ with a camp nearby, and a couple other little subplots that aren’t explored at this point in the movie/series.
I starts out fairly strong. Typical ‘evacuate the city’ scene with traffic, cars out of gas, fist fights at supermarkets, casual violence, etc. Once people arrive at the fortified hillside compound we start in with the scenes that, again, we’ve seen in every movie in this genre: people demanding to be let in, rationing, people in charge butting heads, et, etc.
And, of course, there’s the religious messaging. Now, in some ways it makes sense – its the end of the world, some people are going to be more devout than others and it’s not unreasonable to think that theyre going to say that everyone needs to turn to faith to see them through things. Thats not unrealistic. However the last ten minutes of the movie is where it really drives it home. I’m gonna be a nice guy and give you a spoiler cut. Eject now if you don’t want spoilage.
At the end of the movie, the mostly-practical and mostly-pragmatic patriarch of the compound is injured and out of commission. His wife, the we-must-help-everyone type orders the security team to open the gates and let the tent dwellers camped outside the compound to come in and be fed. A voiceover from the wife goes on with fishes-and-loaves parables about how the unprepared survivors they let in helped to make the gardens grow and everyone was able to eat and all was good Because.
Meanwhile, I’m sitting there thinking how much I’d love to see a “30 days later” tag appear showing the place completely destroyed and overrun with more refugees who, upon hearing that these people were letting in the homeless refugees, decided to flood in there and overwhelm things. But, locking out people and letting them starve wouldn’t fit the ‘my brothers keeper’ narrative that they shoehorned in there at the end. Its a noble and lovely sentiment but when you have limited resources and you throw open the gates to everyone, it’s only a matter of time before you’re a refugee as well. Assuming youre not dead from someone shooting you for the food…or just because theyre vicious animals who want what you have.
And, by the way, how exaclty did all these people find out that this little estate was a beacon of preparedness in the first place?
This movie was shot on a budget of $8 million which probably was spent on Crye plate carriers and tweaked out butch-looking tricked out ‘technical’-style pickup trucks. Production values weren’t bad. The acting, however, was a bit wooden. And the fella playing the local bureaucrat who demanded the main character’s food and gun licenses was so hammy in his portrayal I couldn’t be sure if he was just a bad actor or a good actor trying to be over-the-top.
There’s also a couple ‘Actors of Color’ in there that I genuinely think are only there to keep the movie from being labelled as ‘White supremacist propaganda’. But that couuld just be the cynic in me.
Look, its a fun movie just for the sake of watching an LA SWAT team getting hosed from a belt-fed .30 with tracers. But you’re going to sit there clenching your jaw to keep from screaming “No!” at the screen every time someone does something that you or I would consider a bad move.
Nice gear, nice guns, nice ideas, but this movie was trying to be too many different movies at once – an action movie, a YA movie (Young Adult), a drama, a preachy moralistic movie….pick one and stick with it. Clearly this is a labor of love movie for those involved…they’ve a message they want to get out there, and I can respect that. But honestly I’d get more enjoyment and better writing from Season One of “Jericho”.
If you do see this thing, sit around for the post-move credit scenes teasing the subsequent online episodes. I may watch one just to see if things get better but I don’t have high hopes.
It’s difficult to break new ground in this genre. “Jericho” did it by being first to the network with a series, and they had to include some conspiracy elements. ‘The Walking Dead’ broke new ground by having the gore and violence afforded to non-network channels. But if you’re going to bring something new out now you need to offer something that hasn’t been seen much before…you need something to make you stand out from all the other series. “The Last Of Us” would be just another zombie show if it weren’t for its rather good acting and that it takes place twenty years after the apocalypse…all these other ones are contemporaneous to the beginning of their particular apocalypse. TLOU also had the advantage, like Resident Evil, of coming in with a built-in fanbase from the video games.
I knew going in this was going to be a bad movie, but I wanted to see it anyway because even with the heavy-handed moralist bit at the end, I wanted to support any movie that puts out the idea of being prepared.
I’m not gonna say don’t see this movie, but I will say that what the trailer shows and what the movie delivers may not be exactly the same. Keep your expectations low (very low) and you might enjoy it.
Absolutely agree with your assesment. My son and I watched it last week. The first few minutes were good and plausible, I began to think maybe, just maybe they might pull off a good movie but as it went along the usual stereotype people and situations crept in. Eventually, by the end it had pretty much devolved into a feelgood Hallmark movie. Another possibility squandered.
I’d be surprised if the trailer WAS accurate..
As you said, sounds like many other movies of the genre…
Still better than most of the crap coming from Hollyweird thess days.
For all the reasons you disliked the movie, are the same reasons I’ll see this movie. I can see the violence anywhere, but the religious and moral messages are hard to find these days in Hollywood.
Agree I Dig Au. The movie series ‘The Purge’ revel in opportunities to kill our fellow Man. The recent ‘Road Warrior’ pretty much the same.
I would like to see a faithful straight from the books ‘Alas Babylon’ , ‘One Second After’ and/or ‘Lucifer’s Hammer’ plots. Plenty of opportunity to illustrate what the survivors would see in those events.
Having read the entire series of the books that the movie was based on; I have no desire to see the movie. The books were actually pretty good. Good plot, very descriptive.
Thanks for the recap and review, don’t think I’ll see it because I prefer non-fiction. Real life examples like the great depression, the Katrina shitfest, native Americans being killed, starved and sent to reservations for fun and profit and my personal favorite, FDR putting American citizens in concentration camps with an executive order. Toss in the Warsaw ghetto and how they were starved to death and murdered in mass by a superior force, and I pretty much can predict what is about to happen when the dollar goes bust, which will probably happen soon. Buckle up.
FDR also stole our gold and replaced it with debt backed paper. He traded Gods Ten Commandments for Marx’s Ten Planks and brought communism to AmeriKa. But that’s what democrats do.
The fun thing I learned about the WWII internment camps for the Japanese-Americans is one guy in the camp said “F this. I’m American” and pushed the point trying to leave the camp. Note this. An American Soldier, on American soil, shot & killed an American civilian for trying to leave a “camp”.
New series on MGM+. “Earth Abides”, based on the 1949 novel of the same name, authored by George R. Stewart. I was pleasantly surprised. The book was recognizable in the updated story. As always, there were plot lines we would see as a bad idea. But, for the most part, not stupid. It’s up to episode 5 with episode 6 airing on 12/29. I first read the book 40 or so years ago. I’m surprised it took this long to make a movie of it. But, “Lucifer’s Hammer” hasn’t made it to the big screen either.
I LOVE Earth Abides, which is why I probably won’t see the show. No movie or tv show could live up to the pictures I have in my head. 🙂
I was at a ConCarolina panel where Jerry Pournelle said there were talks with Hollywood to turn Lucifers Hammer into a movie back in the day but the producers wanted to change the story.
I don’t watch tv or movies, but I do read a LOT – and I’ve read a crap ton of apocalyptic fiction. Yes, lots of it is garbage, some is entertaining, and some is even informative. I’ve picked up surprising little ideas here and there, although they were not what the author was intending. Just as you note the tropes in the movie, I see them in every book. I understand the need for plot devices, but I now think it’s more than that – I think it’s reality for people. This is the way most people think and live. I cannot imagine myself in a situation with someone in a MAG or survival group and everyone just tolerates the whiny azzhole – or where someone decides to build a power base and claim everyone must vote on everything because reasons.
Screw muh democracy. Society has always been hierarchical. Heaven is hierarchical. Those most suited and fit – and who organize and fund things – are the ones in charge. Period, no discussion. And no, most women aren’t fighters and won’t necessarily do a good job on watch – this constant deference to women in these books is so very tiring.
Same with those who insist most people are good and fall for every ploy, plus the women who insist that all MUST help ‘x’ or we are just as bad as the bad guys. No, no NO NO NO. I could never write one of these books because I don’t think like that, – and no way will I live like that. But I think that most people – even so-called preppers – really are that stupid.
Like it or not. any rebuild from a civilization ending even will boil down to what’s in it for me?
Does the guy in charge want the goodies now, o r does he want to remembered through the ages?
Got a link to purchase a dvd?
It literally just came out on Dec 20th, they had said it won’t be going to DVD anytime soon or if ever. Can be found on Angel studios under their streaming if can’t find it in a local theater. Probably cheaper than the price of a DVD.
Listened to the entire Black Autum series and it was good. The movie devolved into a Christian Hallmark movie as stated above. Which I semi expected based on the studio that made it. But the deviation from the book was too great for me. I am a purist and that was a bridge to far. The closest movie to book was “The Road”. Then if you want to see the conclusion you have to subscribe and watch the Homestead series. That was annoying and I can’t decide if I will do that. I hope the movie makes money as more people may become aware of the world and how crazy it can be.
My next door neighbor went to see the movie. I bought the first two books. After discussing content with him, it appears that the movies screenplay is very different from the first book, that it was supposedly based on.
I will stick with the books.
I liked the movie, I know people who didn’t and it’s okay. It was a departure from the typical constant gun battles and hero BS that we always see in movies that in real life would make you dead quickly. To me, it showed that even though he had a ton of money, a well designed homestead, still had a LOT of short comings that needed to be addressed.
The ending was stupid, didn’t follow the book at all. Hell, there are even people pissed there was a mixed race couple in the movie and “that was it for them, they walked out”. OMG, why didn’t they just shoot that city inspector! Why didn’t they follow the Shoot Shovel Shut up! OMG Why didn’t they make buddy buddy with the survivalists over the hill – they’re all preppers and should come together (wails and cries of disappointment). People still today don’t realize there’s a difference between preppers, homesteaders and survivalists and not all of them are automatically good people because ‘they prep’.
This movie showed a lot of things if you watched it without any expectations. How to house/feed people (still wondering if dude had all those tents in storage for just in case), security arraignments, comms, equipment (those Ebikes, using power stations for grain grinders vs hand crank, that little Mahindra Roxor “jeep” – diesel engine gets fantastic MPG, yes and all the nice Crye gear, 30cal etc). It also showed that everyone was expecting things to get back to normal in a short time, still thinking they need to follow the social norm rules because if it’s a short time event you will be held accountable for your actions, just having the book “where there is no doctor” on the shelf and a new unopened STOMP medical bag doesn’t substitute actually medically trained people at your camp.
I like seeing others reactions to movies, it’s funny and frustrating because well, they’re people after all.
All plot faults aside, My friends and I refer to this kind of movie as a “Beer and Pretzel” movie. Take it for what it is and enjoy it. The problem with Fiction is that it doesn’t always line up with your beliefs and expectations. So enjoy the beer and snacks as you watch it. TTFN Phil
My wife and I went on Christmas Day to watch it. Lots of “yeah, I wouldn’t do it that way”, but everyone’s knowledge and skills differ. I would have had the IBC totes protected with hardware cloth. Or had my stuff in metal.
Lots of Normalcy Bias going on. When one character said that the government would be there soon to help, my wife literally laughed out loud. But at least it might get someone to start thinking.
And if you go to the movie’s website, you can buy all the product placements! Black Rifle Coffee anyone?
I attended a showing of “Homestead” yesterday. It stars Neil McDonough and Dawn Olivieri, both of “Yellowstone” fame, and Bailey Chase of “Longmire” and numerous series and movies. It comes from Angel Studios, the studio that released “Sound of Freedom” last year, a movie about human trafficking. Angel Studios focuses on uplifting messages, often with a little religion thrown in.
The movie involves a nuclear attack on Los Angeles and its aftermath. The movie has very good production values and the acting was excellent. In a nutshell, Neil McDonough and Dawn Olivieri own a large compound in the Rockies, and many people flock there in search of shelter. Bailey Chase, former Special Ops, serves along with his team, as the compound security chief.
Numerous post-apocalyptic situations and scenarios are depicted as the characters try to negotiate the first 30 days after the nuclear attack. While there is a religious element in the script, the influence is subtle and understated. There is no preachiness that will offend the heathens among you.
This movie isn’t “Saving Private Ryan” quality, but I found it to be very entertaining. Anyone who is even mildly interested in preparedness should regard it as a “must see.”
Interestingly, while the movie is a “stand alone” movie, there are two episodes that continue the plot that can be watched on the internet.