Dark Curtains Descend in Aftermath: A Movie Review

Director: Peter Engert.

Writer: Christian McDonald.

Cast: Edward Furlong, Monica Keena, Andre Royo, Bo Mitchell, Luis Da Silva Jr. and C.J. Thomason.

Aftermath is a post-apocalyptic thriller from distributors RLJ Entertainment and relative newcomer Peter Engert. Engert's third feature takes place after a nuclear strike, which leaves several survivors exposed to radiation. The next hour or so consists of the survivors succumbing to radiation sickness. Light and fun - this film is not. Instead, the film focuses on drama and the dire situation in which the characters find themselves. The protagonist Hunter, played with lots of starch by C.J. Thomason, is a man without a past. It is only a matter of time before the survivors must face the unpredictable outcomes of a nuclear strike, including raging, mutated farmers. Aftermath is a very dreary film, which will leave many viewers haunted and wondering why.

The film's story begins with Hunter. He is outside in rural Texas, when several nations decide to trade nuclear warheads. The innocent are the ones caught in the middle and Hunter does his best to save them. A farm house becomes a refuge, but not for long. Irradiated scavengers roam about the farmhouse grounds also in search of food and shelter. The protagonist must gather an irate neighbour, a pregnant woman, a comic book geek and several other characters together, to ward off the intruders. Then, characters seem to slowly fall, due to the prevalence of radiation as intertitles state, infrequently, "24 Days Later" and "30 Days Later." How long can the survivors last in a dank basement?

Makeup effects look consistently well done/overcooked.

The protagonist lasts well into Act III, but Hunter could have been left behind much earlier. The character Hunter is a very stereotypical hero; he does all the right things for all the right reasons. As an example, he is a doctor and he gathers all of the right supplies to help the other refugees. He helps with pregnancies, blind children and the like. But, what is Hunter's backstory? This character's past is never filled in, not even a little bit. Instead of deep characterizations, Hunter is a simple do-gooder, who is always there with a solution. What of his flaws? A great character has imperfections in his makeup, sometimes hidden below what one initially sees. Hunter has no such mystery, nor intrigue. This character is flat and mostly non-descript. Even Thomason's portrayal of Hunter is uninteresting and sometimes overly bland. A great hero is one who struggles with internal conflicts and not just exterior ones.

Aftermath is a very dark film. Even the colours on the screen have been purposely drained, to create a more drab atmosphere. Partially shot monochromatically, the settings look very dark, especially early in the film. However, Aftermath is dark for a more figurative reason. The tone of the film is very dreary and drab. It is difficult to watch several characters die slowly by radiation poisoning. They sprout lesions from their head, or cough from pneumonia. The grim reaper seems to hover about the screen. As well, the film is dark because of it's setting. The film is primarily relegated to a small basement, with only one window. Here, characters offer drama and conflict, especially Brad (Edward Furlong). Brad is a minor antagonist in this outing and Brad is always ready to make a bad situation worse. The four walls of this setting grind on all of the characters. Even viewers might be affected by all of the darkness in this film outing.

The ending comes across as slightly forced. Director Peter Engert is still developing his visual style and early screenwriter Christian McDonald is still finding his footing in scriptwriting. These newish filmmakers introduce a villainous element much too late in the picture. Though, scavengers seem to be just out of frame, in Act II. Act III brings a horde of raiders. They are in search of food and anyone who stands in their way is just a bloody speedbump. Hunter and his group respond, but the action is over quickly. Again, even the more nefarious characters are not set up well. Their makeup effects look good, but the wanton killers come out of nowhere. Also, they are given little to no backstory, with Brad simply stating of one of them: "he is my friend." This reviewer would not be friends with someone who likes to murder, even out of desperation. Even more unbelievably, these malefactors have survived in a radiation filled disaster zone for over thirty days. This a real testament to their fortitude. Overall, the final climax offered some compelling action, but the action is set-up weakly.

This post-apocalyptic yarn was released recently and under-the-radar (August 26th, 2014); most film fans might be deterred by the dark subject matter and resolution. Still, there are a few good dramatic elements there. The acting from the minors is often believable and the interactions in the basement are sometimes interesting. Aftermath is a very dark film, for more than one reason. Rarely joyful or uplifting, this film will take viewers to a dark place, without a compelling reason. Life in the film is cheap, with characters dying hither and thither. And, this viewer was hoping for a stronger explanation for all of the suffering onscreen.

Overall: 6.5 out of 10 (subplots? the final scene is a tragic one).

A trailer for the film is here:

An Aftermath Trailer on 28DLA


Subscribe to 28 Days Later: An Analysis Email Subscription

Posted in: 2014,edward furlong,horror,movie,movie review,post apocalyptic movie preview,post-apocalyptic,review,science fiction,science fiction movie review,story,synopsis,thriller,zombie movie review