Apocalypse Road Review: That Long Lonely Walk Through A Dystopian Nowhere
Matt Boiselle
|
Starring Katie Kohler, Ashlyn McEvers, Nellie Sciutto
Directed by Brett Bentman
Further proof that you don’t always need slam-bang action to the brim in an end-of-days type presentation to convey a saddening and ultimately sobering story, and in the case of Brett Bentman’s Apocalypse Road, we see a simplistic style of film-making, and for all purposes it completes its mission aside from a few stumbling points.
Shadowing the footsteps of a couple of sisters (Kohler and McEvers) whom are on the move after the eradication of the world’s populace, and their motive in this new bleak territory is simple: get themselves to the East Coast where salvation is rumored to exist…if I had a dollar for every time a character in a movie made a daring scuttle across the map in the hopes of finding deliverance, I’d have about 10 bucks (sorry to be exact).
Anyways, the sisters along the way act as sisters do – they argue with each other and act as consoling sorts the next moment, but more importantly when the shit hits the fan, they have each other’s backs in earnest. The remainder of society’s souls are marked and inevitably tracked, regardless of what their social standing may have been before the great downfall, and when the imminent threat presents itself (no spoilers here, mind you), the two sisters will have to rely on everything they’ve been holding tight onto in order to survive. While the description I’ve just offered up sounds rather vague, bland and uninspired, don’t end up thinking that’s what this film will offer – it’s simply a matter of interpretation.
The story travels in opposing directions as to the siblings (new) directions in their unstable future, and it works to the advantage of the viewer, so as to not leave things too terribly stagnant. The imagery itself is its own best asset, with sprawling shots of decimated structures used as focal points, regardless of their ability to stand their own ground much longer. On the downsides, we’ve got some rather sporadic acts of violence that might not be enough to satisfy those looking for some real bloodshed, but the axis of trouble here lay in the dialogue – listless and immobile emotion from far too many characters are the unintentional murderers of scene progression, and this was a prime example of just that. When all came to a conclusion, I admired some of Bentman’s thoughts and ideas, but was disappointed at the delivery of it all, and it’s not to say that Apocalypse Road won’t have its share of followers, but for this weary traveler, I’ll prefer to take a well-deserved rest at the next stopping point…wherever the hell that might be.
-
Film
Summary
Apocalypse Road is a rugged jaunt into the end of days and all of its dismal splendor, but the question is, “who is ready to walk these dangerous arteries towards restoration?”
Categorized:Reviews
