I'm Dreaming of a White Doomsday

Director - Mike Lombardo (The Stall, Long Pig)
Starring - Hope Bikle (Mama's Boy), Reeve Blazi, and Damian Maffei (Christmas with the Dead, Night of the Pumpkin)
Release Date - 2018
Genre - Horror/Thriller
Tagline - "Seasons greetings from the end of the world"
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Mike Lombardo is an indie filmmaker I've known for a few years now.  When I first started my reviews I spotted people sharing his shorts in different horror groups.  A year or so later I was invited to write for Horror Society and I became friends with Mike.  He sent over his short The Stall and I fell in love with it.  It was a fantastic Lovecraftian short that borrowed style from Dario Argento and classic 80s horror.  I absolutely loved it and immediately bought his short collection and a shirt that I would often wear to church (my wife hates it).  Sometime ago Mike announced that his short story I'm Dreaming of a White Doomsday was going to be adapted into a short.  I was excited for this but over time he saw that his vision was bigger than a short so a feature was now in the works. I waited for what felt like a decade and the film was finally finished and making the festival circuit.  Mike recently won two awards at the New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival and was telling me about it.  He was king enough to let me see this film.  I wish I would have skipped it.  Thanks Mike!
     The film follows an all American family (unless they are Canadian) who survive a disaster or some sort that has reduced the world around them to ash.   The mother, father, and son live in a bunker but when their rations get low the father leaves the safety of their bunker to search for supplies.  When he fails to return the mother leaves to look for him where she comes across an injured woman.  She realizes she can't help her and can see she doesn't have long before she dies.  She steals her bag and leaves her behind.  When she arrives at the bunker she quickly learns that her trip was not fruitful and the bag she stole had no real supplies in it.  Only a few cookies.  Knowing her son will suffer if she doesn't feed him she puts a plan in motion to poison him with the cookies as to avoid suffering.  What she doesn't know is that this Christmas Eve Santa is making his rounds and his last stop is with them.  Is this the jolly Ol' Saint Nick we all know and love or is it something more sinister brought about by the apocalypse?
     I'm a piece of shit.  People that really know will agree with that statement.  I'm loud, opinionated, and an asshole to almost everyone.  With that being said, I love my children more than life itself.  They are my everything and I will do anything to give them the childhood I didn't have.  My love for my children is why I hate Mike Lombardo.  I'm Dreaming of a White Doomsday is one of my most anticipated films.  I was looking forward to some post-apocalyptic fun.  Instead Mike hit me with an emotional horror thriller that left me feeling anxious and nervous.  Fuck you, Mike.  The acting in this is fantastic.  The entire cast works very well together and they do an amazing job at bringing their characters to life.  However, the film hinges on Hope Bikle's performance as the loving mother.  Her performance is an emotional trip that draws the viewer in.  I feel sorry for anyone who watches this and doesn't feel moved by her amazing performance.  The story for this one is not what I was expecting and for that I'm grateful.  I thought the film was going to be a straight forward post-apocalyptic horror flick but Mike isn't about that life.  Instead, he wrote a fairly simple story that the viewer was not expecting.  It packs some serious emotional punch and keeps the viewer glued to the screen.  The story for this one is a bit of a slow burner but that only helps build the atmosphere and tension.  Finally, if you want gore you can count on Reel Splatter to deliver.  The film doesn't have a conventional death scene.  We do have some unexpected gore that catches the viewer off guard with great practical effects.  We also have a death of sorts that is very unique just like the story itself.  This death doesn't have gore but it still delivers and you will have to take my word on it.  Overall, I'm Dreaming of a White Doomsday is an emotional hellride.  This movie hit me on an emotional level that most films don't and I mean that as the highest compliment to Mike Lombardo.  Mike was able to craft something truly unforgettable and did not let something like budget or lack of resources stop him.  This film is a must.