The Survivalist

Dir: Stephen Fingleton

2016

****

Stephen Fingleton's debut feature is a striking look at human nature and the extremes we will go to in order to survive. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where we are told that human life has been dramatically diminished following the depletion of the planet's oil reserves, the story focuses on one man living alone in the middle of the woods somewhere in Northern Ireland. Exactly how or what happened to human life on the planet is left unexplained, details are missing but it is never really the point of the story. Our unnamed survivor lives in a hut and grows enough food for himself, trespassers are not welcome and are trapped and killed accordingly. The story really begins when our protagonist is approached by a mother and daughter, offering seeds and eventually the daughter in return for shelter and food. The dynamic between survivor, mother and daughter is electric throughout the rest of the film and while everyone is at one point stretched to the extremes and have to make difficult and often horrific decisions, it very quickly becomes understandable, almost acceptable, and somewhat less shocking to the viewer. Day to day life is stripped to simplicity without the usual nonsense seen in most post-apocalyptic thrillers, the three farm salad and vegetables, collect rain water and reuse what they can, they don't decide to eat each other after the second day of hunger. It is this simplistic realism that makes the film so effect and shows exactly what can be achieved in a low-budget independent film. The story's conclusion is devastating and utterly appropriate, and beautifully unexpected. The greatness is in the detail and also in the lack of detail, if that makes any sense? The viewer knows only what they need to know which is why the film works so well. The performances are intense and always convincing, the pace, structure and lush visuals gem together to create one of 2016's more unexpected joys.