Last Survivors is a 2021 American post-apocalyptic thriller about a father and son’s utopian world that is threatened by a new relationship.
Directed by Drew Mylrea (Spy Intervention) from a screenplay written by Josh Janowicz (Life Like). Produced by Sunil Perkash, Akaash Yadav, Michael Jefferson, Wesley Hull and Shaun Sanghani.
The movie stars Drew Van Acker (Spy Intervention; Life Like; Camouflage), Stephen Moyer (Confession; Krays: Code of Silence; Devil’s Knot; The Barrens; Priest)and Alicia Silverstone (Batgirl; The Requin; The Lodge; The Killing of a Sacred Deer).
Plot:
In a post-apocalyptic world, Troy (Stephen Moyer) raises his now-grown son, Jake (Drew Van Acker), in a perfect wooded utopia thousands of miles away from the decayed cities. When Troy is severely wounded, Jake is forced to travel to the outside world to find life-saving medicine.
Ordered to kill anyone he encounters, Jake defies his father by engaging in a forbidden relationship with a mysterious woman, Henrietta (Alicia Silverstone). As Jake continues this dangerous affair, Troy will stop at nothing to get rid of Henrietta and protect the perfect utopia he created…
Reviews:
“Van Acker gives the audience someone to root for and his performance is more nuanced than you might expect. He gets to run through a gamut of emotions, and he is very believable. Last Survivors isn’t a perfect film but there’s plenty to enjoy about it. The second half is stronger than the first, and the three leads ensure that you watch it until the very end. I found the resolution incredibly satisfying…” Entertainment Focus
“There really wasn’t much I didn’t enjoy about Last Survivors, but I do have to keep this review short to avoid spoilers. Honestly, I expect many will guess most plot twists ahead of time, but that’s fine. Us viewers aren’t supposed to be shocked. But Jake (Drew Van Acker) surely will be and that is the point!” Heaven of Horror
“With so much to uncover, Last Survivors benefits from repeat viewing, but still works well enough the first time around. A trio of fine performances communicates the emotional heft of a story riddled with Biblical musings making Last Survivors a fine addition to the apocalypse/survivalist thriller genre.” The Hollywood News
“It presents a story with the potential for intense horror, for unspeakable sadness, for a whole tangle of conflicting emotions that should put Jake, especially, through the wringer. Then, rather than go deeper toward the darkness, it turns too quickly to the light. Maybe that’s reasonable as an approach to life. But it’s a bit of a letdown for a movie.” The Hollywood Reporter
“Director Drew Mylrea, working from a screenplay by Josh Janowicz, balances the dramatic and thriller tension levels well, aided by committed turns from Silverstone, Moyer, and Van Acker. Some of the plot turns may be familiar to fans of the aforementioned subgenre, but Last Survivors also offers a good deal of original approaches, making the film well worth a recommendation.” Horror Fuel
“Last Survivors may not change the formula (one can predict nearly every bit of its scripting), but it remains a tight and thrilling way to spend nearly two hours of one’s time. When shifting gears into a thrilling pursuit movie in the final act, Last Survivors is sure to close out with a memorable bang. Potent messaging and a hopeful tone fit like a warm blanket over the dreary grit of the first third.” Josh at the Movies
“Though Moyer and Silverstone are good as representatives of two (fairly loopy) ways of coping with an end of the world, Van Acker is a bit of a blank in the lead […] and the film occasionally errs on the side of having Jake and Henrietta talk through its themes in a manner the taciturn Troy would disdain. As ever, the mountain scenery looks wonderful – and there’s a little more to the set-up than the film lets on.” The Kim Newman Web Site
“The last twenty minutes or so of the movie gets a little too messy and introduces complications which feel out of place when the rest was so level-pitched. Even with little romantic chemistry between Silverstone and Van Acker, the two have good rapport in their scenes. It’s all a little too run of the mill to be memorable (even the rump is sort of average!) so while it works in the moment, the memory of Last Survivors doesn’t stick around long after the credits end.” The MN Movie Man
“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.” Moving Pictures Film Club
“The lead performance almost shipwrecks Last Survivors, but director Drew Mylrea (Spy Interventions) is in complete control of his vision. Silverstone and Moyer feel extremely welcome outside their normal roles and should leave audiences wanting more indie genre fare from the duo. The twist alone should keep audiences watching because Last Survivors has got one that isn’t worth missing out on.” Screen Rant
Release date:
The movie premiered at the Arrow Video FrightFest in London in October 2021.
Last Survivors was initially released via DIRECTV pay per view on January 6th 2022.
In the United States, Last Survivors will be released by Vertical Entertainment theatrically and On-Demand on February 4th 2022.
Cast and characters (alphabetical):
Benjamin Arthur … Andy
Mark Famiglietti … Officer Sharma
Simon Lees … Huntsman
Stephen Moyer … Troy
Alicia Silverstone … Henrietta
Drew Van Acker … Jake
Akaash Yadav … Neighbor
Working title:
SHTF
Trailer:
Clip:
