Director - Stephen Fingleton (Magpie, Driver)
Starring - Barry Ward (The Tenement Ghost, Psych Ward), Mia Goth (A Cure for Wellness, Marrowbone), and Martin McCann (The Pacific, The Frankenstein Chronicles)
Release Date - 2015
Genre - Horror/Thriller
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
I love writing reviews. I usually write my reviews at home when I want to relax or when I'm at my day job and it's slow. Lately, I've been obsessed with the video game Ark: Survival Evolved and spending my spare time with my wife who is carrying our third child. I've tried to write a review for Scream Factory and IFC Midnight's release of The Survivor for several days now but I just couldn't think of anything to say. So here goes probably one of the blandest reviews ever written by me to date which is sad considering how awesome this movie is. Thank you Scream Factory for sending this one my way.
The film takes place in a world where society has crumbled. It is man against man and no one is safe from cannibalism. We follow a survivor living on his own who encounters two women, and elderly woman and her young but sexually active companion. He takes them in but the fear of death creates tension between them all and it doesn't take long before they are plotting to kill each other. This plan never comes to fruition when they are attacked by another group of survivors.
I was curious how this film would play out. I've seen several end of the world flicks over the years that consisted of just one cast member solely surviving in a world gone to shit. This films can be clever and fun or they can be boring as fuck. The Survivalist was able to hold the viewer's attention while delivering a great character driven story. The acting in this one is solid for the way the film is shot. The cast doesn't have a lot of dialogue among themselves. The cast is tasked with carrying the story with just their actions and mannerisms. The cast does a great job at this without the help of backstories and vibrant personalities. The story for this one is simple and one never told before but the film is able to give us a recycled story in such a way that the viewer can't help but love it. The film has just enough suspense and tension to hold the viewer. The pacing is great and the characters are on a love/hate relationship with you. Finally, the film isn't overly bloody. It does have a few kill scenes that has solid effects but they are not as gruesome as one would expect following a small group of survivors in a dystopian society. Though the kills are great I would have loved to see more of the red stuff. Overall, The Survivalist is a fantastic watch. I wouldn't compare it to Mad Max but it still deserves a watch. Check it out.
The film takes place in a world where society has crumbled. It is man against man and no one is safe from cannibalism. We follow a survivor living on his own who encounters two women, and elderly woman and her young but sexually active companion. He takes them in but the fear of death creates tension between them all and it doesn't take long before they are plotting to kill each other. This plan never comes to fruition when they are attacked by another group of survivors.
I was curious how this film would play out. I've seen several end of the world flicks over the years that consisted of just one cast member solely surviving in a world gone to shit. This films can be clever and fun or they can be boring as fuck. The Survivalist was able to hold the viewer's attention while delivering a great character driven story. The acting in this one is solid for the way the film is shot. The cast doesn't have a lot of dialogue among themselves. The cast is tasked with carrying the story with just their actions and mannerisms. The cast does a great job at this without the help of backstories and vibrant personalities. The story for this one is simple and one never told before but the film is able to give us a recycled story in such a way that the viewer can't help but love it. The film has just enough suspense and tension to hold the viewer. The pacing is great and the characters are on a love/hate relationship with you. Finally, the film isn't overly bloody. It does have a few kill scenes that has solid effects but they are not as gruesome as one would expect following a small group of survivors in a dystopian society. Though the kills are great I would have loved to see more of the red stuff. Overall, The Survivalist is a fantastic watch. I wouldn't compare it to Mad Max but it still deserves a watch. Check it out.
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