Last Survivors will surprise everyone who watches it in one way or another. It is a movie that lives and dies on suspension of disbelief and plot twists. Veteran actors Alicia Silverstone (Clueless) and Stephen Moyer (True Blood) effortlessly carry the indie sci-fi flick, while lead Drew Van Acker (Titans) is trying a little too hard. That’s not to say Last Survivors doesn’t offer more. The snowy locale of Butte Montana paired with the cinematography by Julián Estrada does wonders for each wide shot, and both immediately elevate the film.
Jake (Acker) loses his mother as a child and is scurried away from the tragedy by his now-widowed father, Tro (Moyer). The two have been living in the mountains ever since that horrible day that turned their lives upside down. The problem was that it was no ordinary death and no ordinary day. Now 25, Jake has grown up knowing nothing but fear and contempt for outsiders — namely, anyone who tries to disrupt his way of life. Trained to hunt, live off of the land and never leave the property, Jake was taught many things by his father, but not all of it was good and not all of it was true. This becomes apparent when Jake meets someone other than his father for the first time in Henrietta (Silverstone), the first outsider he doesn’t kill on sight. She shows him exactly what he has been missing cooped up with his dad all these years and it leads him to ask new, yet obvious questions about the world.
It might not sound like much, but that’s because there’s little to say about the plot mechanics of Last Survivors without spoiling it. Sadly, most people will see the trailer before watching the film, but if one can avoid it, the viewing experience becomes exponentially more exciting. Suffice it to say there is a crucial moment in the film where everything changes. Last Survivors deserves credit for making a firm decision on when and where to make that shift and it pays off in a big way. Unlike the worst M. Night Shyamalan movies, the twist in Last Survivors does not make or break the film; rather, it provides context to the world-building and mythos.
The premise of Last Survivors is awesome — no frills, no fuss. A completely ambiguous post-apocalyptic event takes place, a father and son are left without a wife and mother, leading them to trust no one and live as reclusively as humanly possible in order to retain that same humanity. In supporting and often dueling roles, Silverstone and Moyer are doing great work in a good, albeit small film. At no point is Silverstone’s nostalgic celebrity distracting, nor is Moyer meant to be the sexy older man. Playing against type would be a step too far, but they are certainly out of their comfort zone as actors.
Acker, on the other hand, is not on the same level. It should be noted that he looks every bit his character’s age and is nearly 15 years older in real life. All that to say, Acker isn’t given an environment like high school or characters his age to act against, leaving him in the wild both literally and metaphorically. The resulting performance is equally feral. Intense overacting and a general sweat physically show him trying to be good, but his portrayal is hard to watch at points. Playing a young man whose mental growth was stunted due to long-term isolation, it makes all the sense in the world for him to make a distinct and consistent acting choice for this role, but it’s one that doesn’t necessarily work.
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.
Last Survivors released in theaters and on demand on February 4. The film is 98 minutes long and is not rated.
