REVIEW: Last Survivors (2022) - Starring Drew Van Acker, Alicia Silverstone and Stephen Moyer

 

Review by Jon Donnis

I hadn't seen an Alicia Silverstone film in years, and this is the second film with her in it I have seen in 2 days!

On December 11th, 2002 Troy Belstair (Stephen Moyer) takes his son Jake (Drew Van Acker) to live in the woods near Chicago, we are in a post apocalyptic world, after World War 3 broke out, this is the safest place for them to live. Ever since the war Troy and Jake have lived in a wood cabin, they hunt for food, make their own spices and medicines.

All Jake knows of the outside world is what his father has told him, he has a secret tin box, inside he has books, magazines and a picture of a woman. His favourite book is The Swiss Family Robinson. Jake dreams of finding his own island and to start a family of his own.

Anyone who comes near to the self created area, Troy shoots dead, calls them outsiders, doesn't want Jake to ever even speak to an outsider. One day a person called Jeff Williams walks into their area, Troy take cares of the intruder, but gets injured in the process. The wound gets infected, and their medicines are no good, so has no choice but to send Jake to get some.

Once Jake leaves the area, he sees a woman living alone in her own cabin, Jake sneaks around, steals medicine and leaves, he decides not to kill Henrietta (Alicia Silverstone) despite her being an outsider. When Jake returns home, he tells his father that he killed the woman. Jake later returns to Henrietta's cabin to speak to her. He quickly falls for her, and she for him, Jake soon learns that the world outside the area he has lived in his whole life is not what he has been told. Was there even a World War? What happened to Jakes mother? Why did his father lie to him.

The film teases you early on with being a typical post apocalyptic survival film, but quickly turns into more of a psychological thriller.

Drew Van Acker is the main character in Last Survivors and gets the most screentime, followed by Stephen Moyer and Alicia Silverstone. And although the film can at times be slightly unbelievable, the reveals are done well, and Alicia Silverstone is excellent as the lonely older woman wanting to get away from her old life, and Drew Van Acker as the young man who falls in love, but knows nothing of the real world.

The Good
Really well filmed, a nicely built story, with a strong performance by Drew Van Acker.

The Bad
Although the premise of the film is good, there are a few points which could and should have been better, for example why do the Troy and Jake characters both have nice hair cuts if they are supposed to be living in a post apocalyptic world? Little things like that can take me out of a film.

Overall
The trailer will spoil the film in some ways, and it is hard to escape the truth of the story, but the story is strong enough regardless that I think the film is worth watching, despite the flaws. I score Last Survivors a fair 7/10

Out Now at https://amzn.to/34KfcwJ