dir. Drew Mylrea

Troy (Stephen Moyer) and his adult son Jake (Simon Lees) live off the grid in the snowy wilderness. Together they must fight for survival as Troy warns his son of the impending doom that awaits them if they venture too far outside their self-imposed boundaries, shooting any outsiders that stumble upon them. After ransacking a neighbouring farm for medical supplies, Jake meets a woman (Alicia Silverstone) who causes him to question the world his father has built.

Taking doomsday prep to the extreme, Last Survivors, is a coming of age story of not entirely believable proportions. Simon Lees’ portrayal of Jake is played with much gusto and heart, and Alicia Silverstone is genuine as a world weary divorcee trying to reconnect with nature and herself. Yet it is Stephen Moyer’s attempt at a wild mountain man that is the real scene stealer….though not for the right reasons. Overacted and cringeworthy, the character of Troy is outlandish and – at times – down right annoying.

The real MVP of Last Survivors however is in fact the breath-taking wintery wilderness that the characters are set against. Unforgiving and harsh, the landscape somehow seems less dangerous and stormy than the universe that Troy has brought Jake up in. It’s a stunning backdrop for a story of loneliness and self-imposed isolation in which all the characters find themselves in.

But ultimately this is not enough, Last Survivors emerging as a tale of desperation, family and the lengths anyone will go to in the hopes of preservation and protection, though fails to hit the mark.

⭐

Ygraine Hackett-Cantabrana